Identity
by BlindingFirefly
Summary: Wren Gallagher is an Irish girl who is overjoyed to receive her letter from Hogwarts. What adventures await her there? Set several years before Harry, eventually to be George centric.
1. Purple and Green Ink

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of JKR's. She's the true headmistress of Hogwarts, I'm just a student.

Note: This story has been simmering in my mind ever since I read DH, especially since DH proved my entire other series completely against canon grimaces and mutters under breath. I'm a triplet, so when JKR killed off Fred, it was almost a physical blow to me. I understand the connection between multiples, and for her to kill off a twin….well, I can't even imagine George's pain. I have a character that I've meant for George all along, so I'm going to start out telling her story, and then eventually weave George in. Have patience. This is George's story, and it's also a part of Wren's story. I hope to eventually be able to tell you a lot more about her. This will just contain some snapshots of her years at Hogwarts, but after a couple chapters of that, it'll mostly be about George. Please, please, I beg on bended knee, review. I'll be much more likely to update with encouragement. All flames will be fed to Fluffy, though, so beware. His three heads are hungry.

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Identity

I wish I could have been there to see it, that bright day. She's described it to me so many times that I almost feel as if I was truly there, but deep down I know I wasn't. Our story begins on a sunshiny day in Ireland, on the walkway leading down from a cottage towards the sea. The door opens, and a small girl, about eleven years old, runs out. She wasn't exactly a pretty girl; she had wild, curly hair that was light brown in color, and her feet were too big for her body. Still, she had enormous emerald eyes, and her slightly crooked smile was always coming readily to her face.

In her hand the girl clutched a crumpled letter that was as yet unopened. The envelope, lying forgotten on the ground behind her as she whirled away, was addressed to Miss Wren Gallagher, Ainmire, County Kerry, Ireland. Running on the rocky ground of the partly island town couldn't have been easy, but Wren had grown up there. She knew that place like it was her own backyard, which it practically was.

Finally reaching her favorite rocky crag by the pounding sea that she loved so well, Wren dropped down on a rock and ripped open her letter with trembling fingers. I know of her excitement. Every student that had ever received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had felt that way; the quivering anticipation, spiced with a hint of fear and uncertainty.

Finally getting a hold of herself, Wren opened the letter, where it said the words that she had waited so many years to see.

**Dear Miss Gallagher,**

**I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…**

The rest, as they say, was history. The following information of sending a reply by owl, the enclosed booklist, none of it meant anything to Wren after having read that first glorious sentence. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph," she said in her lilting Irish brogue. "I did it. I got in. Praise the saints!" She couldn't say anything else through her joy. Finally, she couldn't contain herself any longer. Placing the precious letter carefully under a rock, Wren jumped fully clothed into the sea. She had spent just as much time in the water as out of it, and was as comfortable as a mermaid, whether it be spring or winter. Water was water, especially when it was the beloved salty waves of her Irish home.

The sun was setting before she got out, dripping, and sat down to watch the fiery display in the sky. Then, Wren walked home, almost dry and completely at her ease in the darkness. The villagers of Ainmire still scorned overuse of electric lights; the wizard inhabitants preferred wands, while the Muggles went so far as to use oil lamps, although that trend was slowly fading away.

I will take a moment now and describe Wren's family, and some of her past. Wren is the daughter of Eamon and Taryn Gallagher. Eamon Gallagher is a wizard, who works as a Healer at St. Mungo's in the permanent spell damage department. Taryn Gallagher is a Muggle who met Eamon when he was home on vacation during his third year at Hogwarts. After spending subsequent vacations together, they eventually fell in love and married three years after Eamon's graduation from Hogwarts. While he was not yet a fully qualified Healer, they managed beautifully. They kept their home in Ireland while Eamon Apparated to work every day.

After Eamon had been qualified, they were blessed with a son, whom they named Devlin. Devlin's eleventh birthday came and passed without a word from Hogwarts, so his parents were left to assume that he was without magical powers. He is currently attending a local school called "Bremington High," where he plays on the football (American soccer) team.

Three years after Devlin's birth, the family was blessed with the arrival of Wren. Wren was early thought to be a Muggle, but on her sixth birthday her first show of magic was shown when the doll she was given did not have right color hair for Wren's preference, and it suddenly changed to red. Healer Gallagher was thrilled at this, overjoyed to know that one of his children would be able to follow in his footsteps at Hogwarts. It was also Wren's dearest ambition, as she wished to one day follow in her father's footsteps and become a Healer.

In personality, Wren could be a dichotomy. One side of her was very quiet, especially when she stood out by the sea. She said then that she preferred to allow the sea to speak, and she would listen with respect. The other side spoke of her true Irish heritage, which means that she has a fiery temper and an iron sense of right and wrong.

As she walked back to her home, Wren wondered what her parents would say as to her earning a place at Hogwarts. Even more, she thought about her older brother, Devlin. They were especially close, and it would be difficult to leave home for ten months out of the year while he remained behind. Would he be angry over her being a witch and him not being a wizard? It was a troubling thought.

The cottage poured out light from its lamps. Because Mr. Gallagher was the only trained magical person in the family, they usually lived as Muggles. The only time that Wren could ever remember being affected by the wizarding world was when she had broken her arm when she was four, and her father healing with his wand. So while she wasn't technically a Muggleborn, the wizarding world still held many wonders and mysteries that she had only dreamed of before.

"Wren!" The girl smiled as she heard her mother calling for her, and quickened her step. When she reached the door, she saw Taryn beckoning her to come in. "Come on, lovey! I'm dying to hear your news, that's for sure. Come along!"

After barely having stepped foot into the house, Wren's redheaded mother nearly attacked her. "Well? What news? Did ye get in?"

"Whoa, Mam!" Wren laughed. "Here, its letting you read the letter, I will be, but not until Dad gets in. Is he on his way home?"

Her mother nodded emphatically. "Sure to be along any minute, and that's the pure truth of it. Ahh!" she said brightly, as a loud crack went through the air. They were used to the father and head of the home appearing out of thin air. Eamon's very demeanor crackled with excitement as he looked expectantly at his daughter and wife. His thatch of hair was blond, and brown eyes twinkled.

"They said at work that the letters had gone out today. No secrets, mind! Wren, tell your dad if there's news before I set fire to the house by mistake!"

Wren surrendered her letter to her parents, and turned away to hide her proud grin. It wasn't proper to be feeling all bigheaded, it being a sin and all. But she wasn't disappointed with the reaction of her parents. "Wren!" "Lovey, you did it! Knew you could!" Laughing, the grownups took their daughter into their arms and laughed.

Devlin came in to see what the excitement was about, and Wren, fearful what her parents might say, said softly, "I got into Hogwarts, brother. Be you happy for me?"

A few emotions crossed Devlin's face. The first was jealousy, then shame. But they were soon overpowered by pride and happiness for his sister. "Course I am, sister! It's a bit of a shock, to be sure, but I'm sure I'll be getting over it soon enough. Me little sister, a witch! Sounds dreadful evil, don't it?" He laughed teasingly, and the rest of the family laughed with him. Wren felt immeasurably relieved. Perhaps there wouldn't be a row between the siblings after all.

And so that's how it was in a cottage in Ireland after Wren Gallagher received her letter from Hogwarts. As for the rest? Well, I guess you'll just have to come back, won't you?


	2. Going Diagonally

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JKR's. I just get to play with them.

Note: This may be taking a little longer than I thought…Wren is too much fun to cut short. I hope her way of speaking isn't annoying to you all; I'm making her as thoroughly Irish as possible. It's making me do a fair bit of research, too! But that's the fun part. Anyway, you know the drill. Those who review get a free Cheering Charm from me. Those who don't get fed to Fluffy. Your call.

Happy reading!

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"But Dad! I be knowing nothing at all about the wizarding world. How do you expect me to be a-doing this shopping? Its madness, and that's the pure truth of it!"

"Wren," Eamon said casually, "There's nothing to it. I'm going to get you started, but then I have to go to work. Healing's no picnic, you know, and they need everyone to be there."

How strange, that I was there on that exact same day and I didn't feel her there. Its funny…every time she walks into the room now, I automatically sense her. But there in Diagon Alley, we met, we even spoke, but somehow I didn't sense the magic that our futures held for us.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. On that rather misty day, Wren had Apparated with her father for the first time to the Leaky Cauldron, where they were to do all her shopping for school. As Mrs. Gallagher knew absolutely nothing about navigating the magical world, Eamon had promised to get his daughter started, and head to work as soon as she was comfortable. It wasn't the best of scenarios, but after much arguing and pleading, Wren had finally accepted it.

She had found Apparition to be the most absurdly uncomfortable experience that she had yet had in her entire life, and was in no hurry to repeat it. She was, however, in a hurry to get her first taste of the magical world. The Leaky Cauldron itself was overwhelming as she first beheld it.

It was dark inside, and poorly lit. People were sitting at the bar and at various tables, some eating, others just smoking or drinking. A broom and dustpan were moving busily around the room all by themselves, and a wizard was sitting in a dark corner, holding a wand. "Rigamortenia!" He kept shouting, and nothing would happen. Finally, there was an enormous bang, and the glass of ale in front of him turned into a goldfish. "Blast it!" the man cried out. "Another bloody goldfish!" Wren had jumped when the explosion happened, but nobody else in the pub even seemed phased. One matronly witch rolled here eyes and muttered, "He keeps on doing that, he's going to turn himself into a bloody goldfish someday…" But that was the only other reaction.

Wren felt thundering through her feet, and jumped in fright as a giant suddenly eased into view. "Pardon meh, pardon meh…on Hogwarts business, yeh understand…" The man seemed at least seven feet tall, and his feet were as large as Wren's bathtub.  
"Saints, pray for us!" she whispered under her breath. "That's the biggest man I've ever laid eyes on, and that's the pure truth of it…" She looked up at her father quizzically, who only smiled and shoot his head. "That's only Hagrid, lovey. Don't be worrying, he's just as kind as he is large. He works at Hogwarts, so I expect you'll be seeing him around." He turned to look around the pub.

A man that Wren thought was a hunchback was wiping down the bar. "Hello, there, Eamon! It's been a while since I've last seen you. That your girl?"

"She be that, Tommy me lad. This is my lass, Wren. She's been accepted into Hogwarts, we're buying her things now."

Tom offered Wren his hand and she shook it hesitantly. "I'm glad to meet you, Wren. You'll have a grand time at Hogwarts. Capital teachers, great headmaster, lots of good kids. You won't have any trouble, I'm sure."

Wren replied softly, "I hope not, but…" her voice got stronger as revulsion with her own timidity caught up with her. Who was she kidding, being all timid? She was an Irish lass, and she needed to be acting like one! "…if any trouble comes my way, its sure I am that I can be handling it."

"Spoken like your father's daughter! If I remember correctly, I hear tell that he was quite the mischief maker in his day." Wren turned to look accusingly at her father, who to her surprise was blushing and scuffling like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

"Ach, Tom….we don't need to be telling that to me daughter, now, do we? Come on, Wren, we'd best be moving along." Wren waved good-bye to Tom and followed her father out of the pub.

"Dad, you know told me that you was a rapscallion in your day!" Wren said as she skipped along at the heels of her father.

"Well, now, I didn't want you or your brother thinking that it was ok to act up, now did I? Stand back now, Wren. It be time now to introduce you to Diagon Alley." Puzzled, Wren stood behind her father, thinking that something was going to jump out at her. Eamon pulled out a wand and tapped several bricks in an order the Wren couldn't make sense out of. Suddenly, the wall began to shrink and fold in on itself.

"Begorrah, that's a sight I thought these eyes would never see!" Wren exclaimed, as through the wall she beheld a bustling thoroughfare, packed with shops and people.

Her father gazed fondly at Diagon Alley. "Cor, it's nice to see the old place again. It's been a fair amount of time since I was last here, buying things for Hogwarts. I'm glad to be a-sharing this with you, lassie." Wren shot her father a happy look, but she was barely distracted from the glories of that long street. Witches and wizards and their children were bustling along, gazing inside of shop windows filled with all sorts of things that Wren didn't understand.

"Cauldron sale!" bellowed a window. Wren jumped when a thing that was supposed to be lifeless spoke to her. "'ere now, what're you looking out?" It said indignantly at her. "Uhhh…nothing, nothing at all, window. I've just never heard a window speak before!" Wren replied with great trepidation. "Well, if you ain't going to buy a cauldron, move along! You're blocking the view!" Wren thought about apologizing, but couldn't understand how she would go about apologizing to a window. So she just moved away-quickly.

Eamon turned around and handed his daughter a small leather purse. "There be the money that you'll be needing. I'll take you to get your wand and your school robes, but after that I'll have to be heading on. Your school list is in there, so you'll be able to see what you're required to have. Ah, there's Ollivander's now!" He said, pointing at a drab and almost dusty looking shop. Eamon's brown eyes twinkled down into his daughter's green ones. "The day a witch gets her first wand be an important one, Wrenny. Never thought I'd see the day when a kid of mine would get to buy one…" His voice trailed off, and Wren truly began to understand how much it meant to her father that she was a witch. And just as she began to understand, she felt pressure weighing her down. She didn't dare fail at school. It would destroy her father.

But the moment passed, and while Wren still felt the memory of the pressure in the back of her mind, it was just a memory as they walked into the shop. The Irish girl gazed in amazement at the store. Boxes upon boxes were stacked nearly to the ceiling. She was so distracted by the sheer amount of boxes that she didn't see a wizened man come out from behind the counter. "Ah, Mr. Gallagher! I was starting to wonder when I didn't see you again. Is that wand of yours still working correctly? Eleven inches, oak wood, unicorn tail? Good for Healing, I believe."

"Aye, Mr. Ollivander. Me wand's working capitally, just as it always does. Nay, I'm here with my daughter, Wren. She's just starting Hogwarts, you understand. She be needing her first wand."

Mr. Ollivander's silvery eyes swept over Wren's face, seeming to take everything about her in. She couldn't help but think that he was not just noticing her wild curly hair and easy, crooked smile, but also her very soul. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, like she couldn't hide at all. "Miss Gallagher…it's a pleasure to meet you. Well, let's just get you measured, then."

During the next few minutes, Wren felt as if Mr. Ollivander knew not only her soul, but every facet of her anatomy-his measuring tape went everywhere, even measuring the distance between her eyebrows. "All right, now that that's over, we will be able to get to the truly amazing part," Mr. Ollivander said with a queer gleam in his eye. He handed her a wand. "Nine inches, willow wood, just give it a wave." Not knowing exactly what was expected of her, Wren foolishly waved the wand a little twitch. Mr. Ollivander snatched it from her hand so fast that she feared that she would get a splinter. That wand was quickly replaced with another. "Eight and a half inches, mahogany, go on, then…"

Wren waved five wands before Mr. Ollivander happily climbed up almost to the ceiling, and plucked a seemingly random box from under three others. "Here we are, then. Nine inches, hazel wood. Core of a dragon heartstring." He plucked the wand from the velvet lined box, and Wren took it into her hands. It seemed to warm a little at her touch, and when she waved it in a great, diagonal slash, green waves pouring from its tips. "Ah! I believe we have a winner!" Mr. Ollivander said proudly, as Mr. Gallagher said, "There you are, Wrenny! Knew we'd come to it in the end, lass!"

For herself, Wren was amazed. This was to be her wand, her most important possession ever. She examined the wood carefully, and was pleased with the wand's graceful shape. "I rather thought that the dragon heartstring would be a good choice for you, Miss Gallagher," said Mr. Ollivander mysteriously.

"Why did you be thinking that, Mr. Ollivander?" Wren asked curiously, her accent getting stronger because of her slight fear that there was something wrong or off about her.

"Most witches' first wands have a core of unicorn tail hair. Unicorns prefer young woman, and so the two just seem to work well together. However, you did not seem to work well with the unicorn tail hair, so I decided to try you on the dragon heartstring." He gazed down his nose at her. "Sometimes they work splendidly well on girls who have fiery souls, just as a dragon does."

Wren was pleased with this answer. It just meant that she was a little different. She didn't really have a problem with being called fiery-that was one of the things that her land was so proud of, its spirit and pride.

After the excitement of getting her wand, robe shopping with her father was a definite let down. She stood in Madame Malkin's shop as the nervous woman measured and ran busily around, sewing hems with her wand and pinning sleeves and collars. Eamon arranged to have the robes delivered at their cottage, and then they left the shop.

"Lass, I hate to be leaving, but I must be getting to work. You think that you understand the way wizard money works?" Wren nodded. It wasn't terribly difficult, and the shop keepers were all very kind, anyway. If she ran into trouble, she was fairly confident that they would help her. "Well, then, I'll just be pointing you in the direction of your next stop, and then I'll be on my way. There's the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. They'll have all your school books there. Just have them delivered to the cottage so you won't have to be carrying them and all." He bent down and gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun! I'll pick you up at the Leaky Cauldron at five o'clock, so be sure that you're waiting!" Eamon stepped back, looked around, and then with a whirl of his robes he disappeared from Wren's view.

All alone now, Wren sighed and squared her shoulders. She could do this, she could find all of her school she? _Pretend you're Boann,_ Wren thought to herself, referencing an Irish mythological goddess, _fighting against her husband so that she can have her own way. She was fighting against a god…you're just buying school supplies. This should be easy, compared to making the sun stand still for nine months!_ With that thought in mind, Wren marched straight into Flourish and Blotts…and was promptly overwhelmed.

Books lined the walls and climbed towards the ceilings. Not only was the shop full of books, it was also full of people. Kids of all ages were around, and shouts of, "Mum, I can't find my Transfiguration book!" and "Now how am I supposed to read "Magical Creatures of the Night if the pages are all black?" filled the room and Wren was bumped and jostled, until she was finally crushed against a wall.

"Begorrah! What a mess this is!" Wren tried to say, but half of her words were muffled as someone's arm was pushed against her mouth. It was a madhouse.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Wren's arm and pulled her away from the wall. "There you are! Now maybe you won't be a wall ornament, although-"

"-a human ornament might be architecturally interesting. What do you say, George?"

"Why, I think it's worth a try, Fred. Let's see." Wren shook her head as two boys, identical, red headed twins by the looks of it, rescued her from her cramped spot and began to hurl themselves against the bookshelves, one of them finally managed to climb up and hang on by one hand. "Think I'll do, Fred?"

The other twin, Fred, Wren presumed, came to stand beside the astonished girl. He held up his hands and gauged where his twin was. "A little more to the left, George. You'll be spaced then between the shelves. Should be striking, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, without a doubt." George grinned and moved over across the shelves, looking more like a monkey than a boy.

His face was so funny looking with its broad grin that Wren began to laugh. "Saints preserve us!" She finally managed to gasp out. "That be the funniest thing I think I've ever seen, and that's the pure truth of it!"

Fred and George looked admiringly at themselves. "We are a fine lot, aren't we?" said Fred conversationally. Just then, a screech came across the shot.

"Fred! George! Stop playing like monkeys and get over here! How your father thought I could ever get you two off to school all by myself, I'll never know!"

A plump and kind looking woman came dashing over to where her sons were standing. Her hair the same bright red as her sons', she gave them each a stern look. _She may be kind,_ Wren thought, _but she's more than a match for those two. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side, that's for sure!_

George jumped down from the shelves. "Honestly, Mum, you're depriving the wizarding world of quite the display. How often do you get to see genuine human wall ornaments?"

The mother snorted. "I think we'll all survive, George. Merlin's beard!" she exclaimed, as she was bumped from behind. "This place is busier than I've ever seen!" She turned around, shaking her head, when she noticed Wren standing there, the laughter still shining in her eyes. "Who's your friend, Fred?"

"Don't know yet, mum," answered one of the boys, whom Wren hoped fervently was Fred. She'd lost track by now who was who. "The good people of this shop were taking their best go at squashing her into jelly against the wall. George and I-""-very gallantly," George put in, "-rescued her," Fred finished.

Deciding that she didn't need the boys to speak for her, Wren spoke up. "And I thank you very much for the help. My name be Wren Gallagher. I'm supposed to be getting ready for school, as it were, and would be getting along far better if I weren't threatened by the," she cast a quick look at the twins, "_jelly_ making process."

The mother nodded quickly. "I'm sure you would be, dear. My name's Mrs. Weasley, and these are my sons, Fred," she pointed at one, "and George." The remaining twin nodded. "I've got two others around here somewhere, though heaven knows where they've gone."

"Percy went to go look at the owls, Mum," George (Wren thought he was George, anyway) said, rolling his eyes.

Molly Weasley was a woman of action. Not only that, but she had many children, so she sometimes forgot that not everybody was her child. Her mothering instinct took over now. "Well, then, dear," she said to Wren, "why don't you tag along with us? We'll see that you don't get squashed. Where else do you need to be going?'

Wren explained that she already had her wand and robes, and Mrs. Weasley took it from there. With Molly's expert help, Wren soon had all of her books bought and ready to be delivered at her home. The twins were just as much help in Wren's opinion. Instead of a tedious shopping trip, every mundane incident was an opportunity for hilarity. Wren couldn't remember ever laughing so much or so hard.

The group stayed together the rest of the day, going from shop to shop buying cauldrons, potion making supplies, telescopes, parchment, and inks. They picked up one of the missing brothers, Percy, at the parchment store where he was carefully feeling any piece. "This piece of parchment is one-twelfth of an inch thinner than this one…cutting close to regulation thickness…" he said, with a scandalized click of his tongue. Wren found herself wondering if Percy would start measuring the distance between her teeth and find them completely against code. "They aren't really crooked…" she imagined him saying. "More specifically, they're _uneven_, and that's a completely different category, you see…"

With great difficulty, Wren eventually learned that Fred and George would be in the first year at Hogwarts, they same as herself. Percy was a third year, and Bill, a big young man with a hearty laugh and slightly longer hair than was normal, was a seventh year and would be Head Boy.

With far less difficulty, Fred and George had learned all about Wren's almost Muggle status, and took great delight in explaining to her about the mysteries of the Muggle world, most of which Wren thought was great exaggerated. For example, she highly doubted that to get into Hogwarts she would have to transfigure herself into a pigeon.

Finally the Weasleys delivered Wren back at the Leaky Cauldron. "So, Wren," said Fred, leaning casually against a table. "If you are need of any magical assistance," "or to be more plain, some good old fashioned fun of the forbidden sort," chimed in George happily, "we'd be happy to oblige you. Well, we'll see you at King's Cross Station! Good luck!" Both twins followed their mother and brothers as they one by one stepped into the fireplace, and were gone in a swirl of emerald smoke.

Wren only had to wait for five minutes when her father suddenly appeared with a crack in the corner. "Ah, there you are, lass! Find everything all right?" Eamon said, already knowing by his daughter's happy face that the day had gone well.

"Aye, Dad. I met a wizarding family, and they helped me along, as it were. The Weasleys…they have _lots_ of boys."

"I think I've heard of them," Eamon said distractedly. "Glad it went well. Now, we've but one more errand to run before we go home. Ready to go back into Diagon Alley?"

Wren was tired, but she was also puzzled. "Dad, I think I got everything I'll be needing," she said. "What need would take us back in?"

Her father merely smiled mysteriously and motioned for her daughter to follow him. With a sigh, she did just that, and they walked back into the much quieter Diagon Alley.

After passing by a few stores, Eamon stopped in front of one called "The Magical Menagerie," where owls hooted and cats purred in the windows. "Your mam and I decided that you should have an owl or a cat for school. It's only proper for our girl to be having some companionship."

Wren squealed and hugged her father. "Oh, Dad! That's wonderful! What do you think I should get?"

Eamon shrugged. "That be your choice. I'll only be doing the paying."

Wren had a very hard time choosing between a cat and an owl (she didn't care for frogs) before finally deciding upon an owl. Cats had never gotten on with her very well, and an owl could carry letters back and forth between her parents and herself. It'd be exceptionally handy. Finally, Wren picked out a brown and white short-eared owl with greenish-yellow eyes. The owl looked quite evil and foul tempered, when in reality it came readily to Wren's arm, and never bit, according to the clerk. As Wren and Eamon walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, the owl's cage hanging from Wren's arm, Eamon smiled and asked, "What're you going to call him, Lass?"

She grinned. "I think he'll be Mac Cuill, after the husband of one of the three founding goddesses of Ireland. He'll just be Mac for short, though." Laughing, Eamon agreed, and they returned home with Mac in tow.

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AN: So what's it gonna be? Cheering Charm or Fluffy? I'd go with the Cheering Charm if I were you….push the darn button!

Next chapter will be up tomorrow, with a good bit of Felix Felicis!


	3. The Floo and New

Disclaimer: The following disclaimer will be delivered in parseltongue. vague hissing and slithering Thank you.

Note: Yay! Some of you get Cheering Charms! Especial thanks go out to Legalien, lauralunatic, and DMG5440 for your awesome reviews. Oh, and thanks go out to Legalien for catching my mistake with Bill when it should have been Charlie…it shall be fixed soon.

Now, for the other 22 of you that didn't leave reviews….Fluffy is standing behind you. I'd watch out for the drool if I were you.

Please review! Oh, and let me know what house you think Wren should be in. I'd appreciate the poll. Thanks so much!

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The remaining week before Wren's departure passed slowly for her. She's told me all about how excited she was then…how she tried on her school robes every day and paraded around her room, how she eagerly read some of her school books, and how she even sent a note to her mother to test out Mac's postal abilities.

But by the same token, Wren mourned her home and her family even before she left. She found herself impulsively embracing them at the oddest times, like once when her mother was fussing at her for forgetting to do the dishes, and another time when she was playing football with Devlin and should no more have hugged him than tackled him. Every little thing that she did with her family seemed all the more precious, no matter how mundane. Every time they sat down to dinner, Wren imagined the day when her chair would be empty.

The fact that her greatest comfort at that time was the pounding majesty of the sea came as no surprise to anyone that knew her. Wren would spend time with her family, but whenever trepidation about her future threatened to overwhelm, she'd slip out of her house and run and stand in the waves, allowing the water to soak her. She'd come home, her curly hair dripping and dangling down her back, but her eyes glowing and her spirit comforted.

Finally, Wren's last day home came. Early that morning she got up and finished packing her trunk with her mother's help, and then did her chores around the little cottage. Unable to take looking at her mother's tear-filled eyes anymore, Wren made up some abysmal excuse and ran down to the sea. Thankfully, Ireland's usual haze had been burned away by bright morning sunshine, and so the sea was casting off sparkles that hung like diamonds in the air.

For a while she just stood in the pounding surf, being beaten by the waves but never falling. Finally, Wren allowed the waves to knock her over, and she began to swim out to sea.

Being a strong swimmer, she could go a long way before becoming tired. When Wren finally looked back at the shore, all she saw was a thin line of grey, where the rocky shore that she had deserted stood immobile. She kicked for a while to keep her place, before finally heaving a sigh and beginning her journey back to shore. She dove underwater and opened her eyes to look at the wavering green world beneath her. The water was cold, but Ireland had some of the clearest water in the world. Wren could see a long way down, and a few trout went swimming by. She was careful not to go down near the bottom, where the detritus of water plants and broken objects could very likely contain grindylows, one of the few magical creatures that she knew anything about. When Wren had been a young girl, she had swum out and then tried to dive down and touch the ocean's bottom. Out of nowhere, a green monster had come up and grabbed her leg. With a lucky kick, Wren had kicked it hard in the face and swum off, crying because of the long scratches that the grindylows had given her. Her father had healed the scratches almost instantly, and had warned her about grindylows. Ever since then, she had been cautious about going anywhere in the ocean where she couldn't see clearly.

A while later, Wren washed up on the shore and lay on the ground, breathing hard. Her heart was pounding in her ears, so she didn't hear someone come up and sit down beside her. "Aye, Wren. Knew you'd be here, I did."

Looking up, Wren saw that her brother was looking down at her. She sat up, her curly hair riotous. "Oi, Devlin. This be the only place that gives me any peace, and that's the pure truth of it. What brings you here?"

Devlin shrugged. "Me sis is leavin' tomorrow for some place I've never seen. You're goin' to be gone for a long time, so they say. I figured that you and I should do some talkin' before you left."

Nodding, Wren sighed. "I'm goin' to be missin' you, brother. I'm excited to be goin' to this grand place, but it's scary as well. What if I can't be livin' up to Dad's expectations? What if I fail out? He'd be horrible disappointed and all."

Devlin put his arm around his sister, wet though she was. "Aw, don't be thinkin' on Dad, Wrenny. This be your time to shine, your time to make yourself into something amazin'. This aine Dad's life, it be yours. Live it how you be wantin' to, and don't let me hear any different."

Wren leaned her head against her brother's shoulder. He was right. This was her life, and she had to live it how she chose. After a few minutes of silence, Wren said softly, "My only regret be that you can't be comin' with me, Devlin. Hogwarts'll probably be powerful short of big brothers."

Devlin laughed light, but Wren heard the sadness in his voice. "Then you'll just have to be comin' home nice and regular, won't you? Come on. Betcha Mam's got some hot chocolate 'round somewhere. Let's go dig it up."

Standing up, brother and sister raised each other to the house.

That evening, the entire family sat down for dinner, made up of all of Wren's favorites. Thick and cheesy potato soup, grilled chicken, and crowned with a bread pudding, everything was delicious and heart-wrenching. Eamon saw his daughter casting the food longing looks, and guessed their meanings. "The food up at Hogwarts be every bit as good as this, although…" he said, casting an affectionate look at Taryn, "it can never be quite as toothsome as your Mam's. Don't worry, Wrenny, you won't starve."

A thought suddenly occurred to Wren, and she leaned forward in her chair. "Da," she said, slipping into the Irish form of Dad, "do you think any of your old teachers still be there? It'd be nice to know some information and all."

Eamon leaned back and scratched his head. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, Wren." Wren rolled her eyes, knowing that to be her father's way of saying he didn't know. "I know that Dumbledore is headmaster now, and a bloody good thing it be. He was my favorite teacher up at school, and I'm sure he be an even better Head. You'll like him, lass-jolly, and fair in everythin' he does. Dead smart, too, called one of the best wizards of our time. They say that even You-Know-Who…I mean…uh…" Eamon's voice trailed off, obviously trying to cover up something he'd said. Taryn shot her husband an annoyed look, and tried to change the subject. "Anyone be wantin' some more pudding?" Without waiting for a reply, she dumped a hearty helping on Wren's plate. Even though Wren thought she was full, she sure wasn't going to pass up more of her favorite desert. But neither was she going to let her father's statement go without a fight.

"Ach, Da, you've spilled it now. What're you goin' on about? Who's You-Know-You?" Wren's green eyes bored into her father's brown ones. He couldn't take the direct stare, and switched his glance up to the dark wood ceiling.

"He's not important to you, Wren. So don't be askin' me. Understand?"

Rarely had Wren ever head her father speak in such a firm voice. "But, Da…I might need to know…"

Eamon slammed a hand against the table. "Don't you be sassin' me, girl! I said that it aine important! Leave it at that, and don't be askin' anymore about it, Wren Brigit Gallagher! Is that clearly understood?"

Fires snapped in Wren's eyes. Her hot Irish blood was thundering through her veins, but she had never seen her father so upset. It wouldn't do to cross him now. "Yes, Dad. I understand." She quietly stood up and left the table, going to her room. As she shut her door, she heard Taryn ask her husband reproachfully, "Now, Eamon, be all that yellin' and fussin' truly necessary?"

After having slammed a few things into her Hogwarts trunk, Wren felt her hot anger falling away. Her temper was quickly lit, but it never lasted long. She collapsed onto her bed. Her last night at home, and she'd fought with her father. All she'd done was ask a question. Who was this You-Know-You, for it to upset her normally unflappable father so?

It was a mystery, but one that Wren fully intended to solve. Wren looked out her window at the multitudes of stars that were gleaming their silvery light. "All right, lads," she whispered softly to them, "what other mysteries be awaitin' me? You'd better be there at Hogwarts, too, that's all I got to say." Blowing her candle out with one swift puff, Wren collapsed into bed and fell asleep, still puzzling as to what had so upset her father.

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The next morning, the family gathered in the living room. Originally, the plan had been for Eamon to simply Apparate with Wren to King's Cross station, but Taryn had put up such a fuss about going to see her daughter off that those plans had been changed. Now, the whole family would be traveling in some new way to King's Cross Station. Even Devlin was coming along for the ride. Eamon had shuffled his feet when his daughter had come into view, apparently much regretting his harsh words of the night before. He started to say awkwardly, "Wren…I…" But Wren just held up a hand. "It be well between us, Da. I shouldn't have pushed like that." Eamon didn't say anything; he just swept his daughter up in a fierce hug. She gripped him hard back.

Finally, they stepped away from each other, and Eamon said briskly, "Right, well, here be the drill. We're all going to be traveling by Floo today, so you'll need to be listenin' carefully to me and all." Taryn, Devlin and Wren all shot Eamon puzzled looks, which he just ignored and continued. "I'm goin' to be tossin' this power into the flames. Then one by one, we'll each step in and say our destination 'Kings Cross Station' in good, clear words. The flames will take you there. Stand up straight, don't fall over, and keep your elbows good and tucked in. Wait until the spinning stops to get out, or you'll end up in some sweet old lady's fireplace in Wales. Understood?" None of them understood in the slightest, but they just nodded anyway. Eamon turned to Wren. "You be goin' first, lovey. Show us what you got." With great trepidation, Wren stepped forward. Her father tossed some powder into the flames, which promptly turned an emerald green. Wren instantly recognized this as the way that the Weasleys had left the Leaky Cauldron, and felt immeasurably relieved. If they could do it, so could she. Without any further nervousness, she stepped boldly into the flames and said loudly, "Kings Cross Station!" With a whoosh of flames, she was gone.

Wren whirled faster and faster, without any control over where she was going. She felt sick to her stomach and closed her eyes. The feeling wasn't as bad as Apparition, but then Apparition was usually over in just a few seconds. This went on and on and on. Finally, her body began to stop spinning, but she was so dizzy that when she stopped she fell over.

Quick hands pulled her from the fireplace. "There you are, lovey! Welcome to Kings Cross! Now out of the way, got someone else coming." Wren looked up and saw a kind looking young man motioning her away from the fireplace. Looking around, she saw that she was standing in a large stone room, lined with fireplaces. With a burst of emerald flames, someone would step casually out of the fireplace, brush the soot and ash from their clothing, and nonchalantly leave the room. Wren did see a few more kids around her age arriving. Almost without exception, the children would promptly fall over. The ones that laughed when they did Wren assumed to be of wizarding stock. The ones that looked bewildered and slightly sick she thought were the Muggleborns.

The fireplace that Wren had just fallen out of belched forth Devlin, who looked decidedly green around the gills. He sputtered when he saw Wren, "If that be the way that wizards travel and on, it's sorry I'm not that I didn't get to be one. What a ride! Saints preserve us!" Wren just smiled, and tried to brush all of the soot from her clothing. She felt sure that she would never get it all out of the wild strains of her brown hair.

Another minute later and Taryn and Eamon were standing there, Eamon looking rather pleased as though he had just been on an amusing sort of ride, while Taryn sputtered and coughed. Seeing what a mess his family was, Eamon pointed his wand at each of them, and the soot and ash from their clothing was soon blown off, to the great detriment of a small wizard standing behind them. Wren's luggage and Mac in his cage appeared in front of them, and then placed on a cart that Devlin chivalrously pushed in front of him. Mr. Gallagher then led the way out of the room, and into the main part of the station. "That room's been there for years, and no Muggle is ever the wiser," he said proudly. Finally, they reached a hallway that had too separate platforms-platforms nine and ten. Eamon gestured at a wall nearby and led his family over to it. He turned and looked at him. "Now, I know that that wall over there looks solid, but its not. You have to run through it," he said, pointing at an extremely corporeal wall of the sort that Wren had absolutely no desire to go banging into. Again he turned to Wren. "I have no intention of asking your mam to go running through walls, Wren, so it's best that good-byes get said here."

Taryn's eyes welling up with tears, she swept Wren up for a good, long hug. "I'll be praying that you find your way, lassie," she said softly. "My only advice is for you to remember who you are. My daughter, Devlin's sister, a good friend, and an Irish lass that's spunky enough to stand up for what's right. You do that, and I'll be havin' no fears about you."

Wren whispered back, "Thanks, Mam. I'll be doin' my best, and that's the pure truth of it."

After letting her mother go, Wren turned to her big brother, who was looking distinctly uncomfortable at all of the sappiness that was happening in his presence. He cleared his throat and said gruffly, "Well, run along to your school, Wren. And you'd best be writin' me and all, or else you might find that I have some magic of me own." Devlin grinned fiercely, and awkwardly patted his sister on the back. She smiled back, and gave him a quick hug.

Eamon looked at his watch. "Wren, it be time. Now then, I want you to take your cart," he said, gesturing at the cart which Devlin still pushed possessively, "and run straight at that wall. Be fast and don't be frightened. You won't smash up, I promise." Wren flipped her hair off of her shoulders and took the cart, trying not to show her nervousness. She pointed the cart at the wall and took a deep breath before starting a headlong run towards the barrier. Her mind kept wanting her to stop, to realize that she was about to smash into a wall and kill her owl, when suddenly she slipped straight through the bricks, feeling like she had just run with a sheet of cold water. She emerged with a pop beyond the wall and looked around in great amazement.

She was standing in a huge station where a scarlet train stood waiting, sending great puffs of smoke up into the air. Turning when she heard a noise behind her, Wren saw her father giving the train a look of deep affection. "It be good to see the old lass again." He looked down at his daughter. "It's findin' you a place to sit, we should be doin', and then after that you be on your own, lass." Eamon led the way over to the train, where he supervised the loading of Wren's luggage. Peeking through the windows, he said, "Well, looks like there are still plenty of spaces on there. Bad luck for me to go on the train with you…" Mr. Gallagher cleared his throat roughly, and gave his daughter a quick hug. "Your mother'll be fussin'. I best be headin' on." And with a swish of his cloak, Eamon turned and had run back through the barrier, leaving his daughter standing on the platform holding Mac's cage, alone.

"Well then, Mac Cuill," she said to the owl, who looked up through his wicked eyes and gave a reassuring squawk, "we'd best be gettin' on the train, then." Dodging inbetween the shouting students and bevy of sobbing mothers, Wren eventually made it over to the train steps. Just as she was swinging up onto the back platform, however, she felt someone take her arm.

Turning around swiftly, Wren was delighted when she saw the kind eyes of one of the Weasley twins! "All right," she said laughing, "which one be you?"

George grinned, determined to get some fun out of this. "I'm Fred. Good to see you again, Wren. Parents leave?"

"Aye, they did, _George_," Wren replied, giving George a mocking look.

Affecting a hurt demeanor, George exclaimed, "Why, Wren, I'm hurt! I'm Fred."

Wren scoffed. "You're no more hurt that you are Fred."

"She's right, George. Better give it up," said Fred as he came up behind Wren. George moaned. "How'd you know I was fooling you?" he asked, curious to know the secret.

Wren shrugged. "It be easy enough. Neither of you are to be trusted."

"Ouch! That was bloody insensitive of you, Wren!" Fred laughed, but then stopped and put a serious look on his face. "Although it's true enough, I suppose."

"We'd better not leave such wisdom standing out here in the door, blocking everybody else's path," put in George. "Come on, Wren. Wouldn't want to miss the train, now, would we?" George pulled Wren inside the train, and she gratefully followed the brothers. Perhaps she wouldn't be sitting alone, after all.

The twins went to a compartment and sat down. Another boy and a girl were already sitting in there, and looked up when they saw the three new occupants enter. The girl, an elegant black girl, smiled at Wren. "Ah, so you got caught up in this foolishness, eh? I'm Angelina Johnson. This is Brian Thompson. You a first year too?"

"Aye, that I be," replied Wren, sitting down beside Angelina. She nodded at Brian, a studious looking boy who had his nose buried in a book. "I'm Wren Gallagher. It's nice to meet you, Angelina. You too, Brian." Brian looked up and nodded vaguely, while Angelina just smiled wider.

The Weasley twins settled down on the other seat facing Angelina, Brian and Wren. "So, what house is everyone gunning for?" asked Fred casually.

Angelina shrugged. "I really want to get into Gryffindor, but I'll be ok anywhere but Slytherin." She shuddered. Wren was confused.

"Gryffindor? Slytherin? What be these things?"

Brian looked up from his book. "Hogwarts is made up of four houses. You live in House dormitories and earn and lose points for your house. The houses are Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

Angelina nodded. "Yes, and each house kind of has its own personality. Slytherins are a right nasty lot, really…nobody can stand them. Ravenclaw gets the brains, like Brian over here," she poked Brian, who just grinned. "Gryffindor gets the brave and true lots, and Hufflepuff gets the rest. Hufflepuffs are sweeties from I've heard, but sometimes they're none too bright. Are you a Muggleborn, then?" she asked Wren.

Shaking her head, Wren explained her mixed background and her relative ignorance of the Wizarding world. Fred and George remained quiet during this exchange, but they brightened when a boy was catapulted through the door.

"Hello there! Got room in this compartment?" The black boy smiled and bowed deeply. "I'm Lee Jordan, prankster extraordinaire and in need of a place to sit. Who wants to oblige me?"

"Come on, mate! Birds of a feather should stick together, and all of that rubbish," proclaimed Fred, and Lee settled down beside them. For just about the rest of the journey, the entire compartment was regaled with joke ideas and the boys' intentions for causing the utmost amount of mayhem at Hogwarts as possible. Wren and Angelina listened in fascination, while Brian mostly kept his head in his book, although he did occasionally look up with a bright look in his eye when an especially profitable plan was spoken of.

Later that evening, after they had all been to the lavatories to change into their school robes, the first years were looking admiringly at themselves. "Cor!" proclaimed Angelina. "Never thought I'd look this _good_ in all this black."

"That you do, Angelina," said Lee as he cast an approving look at the girl. Wren merely rolled here eyes and said, "Begorrah, I wish my da could be seein' me now. He'd be right chuffed."

Finally the train came to a shuddering stop, and the students left their possessions and poured out of the train. "First years, this way! First years over 'ere!" Wren smiled when she saw the same giant that had been at the Leaky Cauldron, Hagrid, standing and waving with a lantern. Where would he be leading? Wherever it was, it was sure to be an adventure.

A/N: You are getting sleepy….you are being hypnotized….you are now pressing the review button…..

Thanks!


	4. What Awaits You Here

Disclaimer: Here's a wand. POOF! I now own Harry Potter…just kidding. I can't really do magic, more's the pity. JKR owns it all except Wren and the others that you don't know.

Note: Wow, I can't believe the sweet reviews that I got! The consensus on Wren's house was pretty equally Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, but I think that she's just too spirited for Hufflepuff. Thanks to Legalien for pointing out the prejudice between the houses…don't worry; I'm going to bring that up later. Thanks for all of your support, lovey! You're a good friend. Lauralunatic, thanks for your pm, which I tried to answer but your profile wouldn't let me, for some reason. I can't believe that you have my story up on your profile information! That rocks. Also thanks to DMG5440! You're awesome!

In any case, y'all, I have to tell you that I won't be able to update as much as I'd like to, starting next week. School starts back, and you're just going to have to be patient with me. As much as I love to write, school comes first. Hermione would approve, I know! In any case, I'll be doing my hardest to update AT LEAST once a week.

Keep pressing that review button, it means the world to me. No prizes this time, just a very happy firefly. Thanks so much and happy reading!

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Wren joined the rest of the very nervous first years as they stood awkwardly around Hagrid until the giant was satisfied that they were all there. "All right, you lot," he said briskly, "into the boats, now. We'll be getting to Hogwarts by water." Wren clambered into the nearest boat, where she was joined by a strange girl, and Angelina, who was closely followed by Lee Jordan. Fred, George, and Brian cheerfully climbed into another boat with a boy that Wren didn't know.

As the boats floated down the lake not being propelling by anything that Wren could see, she looked at the new girl. "Hello. I be Wren Gallagher. What's your name?"

The girl smiled shyly back at Wren. "My name's Leah Noraway. It's nice to meet you, Wren." Angelina also introduced herself to Leah, and asked where Leah was from. "London," the girl answered softly. "I'm a Muggleborn, so this is all completely new to me. Do you know what's going to happen when we get up to the castle?"

Angelina looked at Leah in a reassuring sort of way. "Both of my parents are from wizarding families, so I have a pretty good idea. I don't want to spoil it for you, though. Don't worry, there's nothing to be worried about." Lee nodded fervently in agreement, while Leah's troubled face smoothed a little. Wren sat back comfortably. She didn't have a clue what was going to happen, but she was trying to leave her fear behind her. There were teachers at this school, and Wren was fairly confident that none of them would allow the students to come to harm. Besides, if the first years did have to perform or do something unusual, Wren knew that she would muddle her way through somehow. It wasn't in the tradition of her family to just sit back and quit before the fight even began.

Suddenly, out of the darkness appeared an immense castle, shining in the night. Wren gasped as it came into full view; the graceful towers reaching for the stars, the many doors opening out to the grounds and the uncounted floors made the castle appear just as shrouded in mystery as it was mist. "By St. Patrick's hand, this is a sight I never imagined I'd see!" she breathed.

I remember that even I was stunned by the appearance of the school. Most things in life were a joke to me, but Hogwarts wasn't. It was heartbreakingly beautiful…and it was a prankster's dream. The place likely had thousands of hidden passageways and secret tricks about it. But still, the first unguarded thought was that it was a place where I could truly mold myself into something amazing. Hogwarts was a place of potential and obscurity, for who knew what you would become before you left its halls forever?

The boats finally docked and Hagrid, carrying a lantern as large as one of his massive feet, led the way up to the wide double doors of the castle. A woman awaited us there, one of those people that made you instantly stand a little straighter and wait for instructions. She was dressed in green robes and her hair was held in a tight bun on top of her head. After ushering us all in quickly to the entrance hall, she looked down her nose through her spectacles and said briskly, "Good evening, first years, and welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall and I act as both Transfiguration teacher and deputy headmistress. In just a minute we will be entering the Great Hall and you will each be Sorted into your houses. There are four of which, and they are called Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor." There was especial warmth to McGonagall's voice as she said the last name, and Angelina sent Wren a significant look, even though Wren didn't have a clue what it meant. Before she could ask, Professor McGonagall continued. "I will ask you to form two straight lines and make sure that you are adequately prepared. Now, please follow me." Without any argument from the terrified students, Professor McGonagall efficiently opened the enormous doors and led the way into a room that took Wren's breath away.

It was large, and four long tables ran the rooms length. Each table had a large number of students sitting at it, and they were all looking expectantly at the parading first years coming down the center aisle. Golden plates and cutlery rested on the tables, and candles floated in midair. Wren gazed in utter awe at the sight, especially when something caught her eye. To her great surprise, a cloud moved across the ceiling and revealed stars twinkling brightly overhead. "Begorrah! It be like the sky outside!" Angelina nodded, and said, "Oh, before I forget. McGonagall is head of Gryffindor House. That's why she was so pleased when she mentioned it." Wren nodded in understanding, but Heads of Houses seemed unimportant.

Up at the head of the room, a dais was set up and held a long table. A large number of adults sat there, whom Wren presumed to be the teachers. She only got to catch a glimpse of a few-a plump, smiling woman with dirt on her hat, a sour and greasy man who wore black robes and the man whom Wren assumed to be Dumbledore. The headmaster wore midnight blue robes and had a large wizard's hat perched on his long white hair. His beard fell down in snowy lengths, and his blue eyes twinkled behind half-moon glasses nestled on a crooked nose. Wren felt safe when she looked at Dumbledore. He appeared to be so totally at ease as he sat peering through his fingers that she knew that nothing terribly traumatizing could be happening.

But something strange seemed to be happening. Everyone was now paying rapt attention to a ratty old hat perched on a plain wooden stool. What could be so important about a hat? Wren felt Leah shifting uncomfortably beside her.

All of a sudden, a rip appeared along the hem of the hat, looking strangely like a mouth. That assumption was confirmed when it began to sing in a loud but reedy voice.

_Oh, I know that you're feeling nervous_

_About what horror will next appear_

_But, child, all I'm here to do_

_Is tell what awaits you here!_

_All of the students that come are different_

_So we place them with those like themselves_

_But in what House you will abide_

_Hufflepuff or Slytherin? Only I can tell!_

_First there is Ravenclaw so smart_

_Filled to the brim with fine minds_

_Then there is Hufflepuff, sweet and loyal_

_They do their best to be kind._

_Next marches proud Gryffindor_

_So honorable, brave and true_

_Last comes stealthy Slytherin_

_Who are cunning in all that they do!_

_So now my song is ending_

_I hope you enjoyed it, dear_

_For I am but the messenger_

_That says what awaits you here._

Thunderous applause followed the hat's song as it bowed to each table and fell silent. Wren had enjoyed the song and had found it informative, but now she was fighting away nervousness. Where would she be placed? She prayed that wherever it was, it would not be Slytherin. Surely she wasn't cunning enough to be a Slytherin? Professor McGonagall's voice broke through her reverie. "Now I will be calling your names alphabetically. When you are called, you will come up here, sit down on this stool, and I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head." She cleared her throat and pulled out a long scroll. "Aaron Adams!" came the first call. A small, brown headed boy came walking forward, tripping over his robes along the way. Laughter rippled through the room, but it was swiftly silenced by one stern look of McGonagall. Poor Aaron slipped on the Hat, and after only a few seconds, it called out, "Hufflepuff!" One of the tables burst into cheers as Aaron made his way over to his Housemates, thankfully making no blunders along the way.

"Cedric Diggory!" A handsome boy went up to the stool and sat down with an embarrassed smile upon his face. "Hufflepuff!" the Hat cried again, and that table gained another student.

A few more names were called, but before she was ready, the name "Wren Gallagher!" was echoing through the Great Hall. Squaring her shoulders, Wren marched firmly up to the stool and sat down. Her posture was brave, but every person in the audience saw the apprehension upon her face. The Sorting Hat dropped down upon her head, and Wren was plunged into a darkness that was only broken by the Sorting Hat's voice.

"Ahh…a fine Irish lass, I see. You're plenty smart, and kind and loyal to your friends. You're cunning enough for Slytherin, but I don't see you being very happy there." With great strength of will, Wren barely resisted sighing in relief. "You would get annoyed with the Ravenclaws, I think, with their endless intellectual cycles of conversation. Yes, either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor would be best. Hufflepuffs are worthy enough, but I think your spirit would be wasted upon them. Yes, I think you belong in GRYFFINDOR!" The last word, shouted out loud, went singing high into the rafters. With a happy bounce, Wren got down off of the stool and handed Professor McGonagall the hat. The teacher gave her a proud smile before turning swiftly to the next student. Going over to the cheering table that awaited her, Wren settled down where a second year told her. She looked up and saw Leah and Angelina's terrified faces, and hoped that her friends would be joining her. It would be a shame to make friends and then lose them so quickly.

A few minutes later, and it was Angelina's turn to be sorted. The hat had barely descended on her head before it shouted, "Gryffindor!" Grinning madly, the elegant black girl ran down and joined an ecstatic Wren. Lee Jordan, Sorted immediately after Angelina, was also placed into Gryffindor House. He came down and while he initially went to sit down beside Angelina, two second year boys gestured that he should join them. Looking greatly consternated, he obeyed.

When Leah Noraway's name was called, Angelina and Wren looked at each other in some slight fear. Leah herself was shaking madly and her legs looked like they were having trouble moving. Angelina leaned over and whispered, "Bet she's in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. She doesn't look much like a Gryffindor at the moment." Wren silently agreed.

Yet they were fooled. After spending two whole minutes on Leah's head, the Sorting Hat finally cried out that she belonged in Gryffindor. Amazed but happy, Angelina and Wren cheerfully made room for Leah on the bench. Leah, who looked pale and exhausted, but thrilled beyond words, planted herself on the bench as if daring anyone to take her away from it.

The boy from the train, Brian Thompson, was Sorted into Ravenclaw. Wren certainly wasn't surprised by that decision.

The last students that offered any sort of nervousness for Wren were her new friends, Fred and George Weasley. Fred was Sorted first into Gryffindor, and so Wren automatically thought that George would be as well. To separate these brothers would be practically sinful. The Sorting Hat didn't take long to decide, however. It had seen Weasleys before.

Finally every first year had been Sorted, and Dumbledore stood up and addressed his students. "Welcome back to Hogwarts! It is good to see many old faces, and just as pleasurable to behold so many new ones. But as much as I know you want to hear a nice long speech," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "I know that you want to eat more. Therefore I shall not disappoint you. Eat up!" With a clap of the headmaster's hands, Wren nearly jumped back in surprise as a multitude of food suddenly appeared on the table before her. Even Angelina, wizarding world wise as she was, looked pleased.

The tables groaned under the sheer amount of food, and Wren wondered if it was by magic that they had all of her favorites. Good fried potatoes like the ones her mother made at home, homemade bread, steak, chicken, pork chops and herring pie…she had never seen so many delicious things on one table. After the students had eaten their way through the main course, dessert had arrived. Wren helped herself to a hefty portion of bread pudding as she listened to the conversations around her. Leah constantly looked about her as if amazed that she had made it there. Finally Wren couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer, and she looked searchingly at her friend. "What took the Hat so long to be sortin' you, Leah? Saints preserve us; I thought it must have been fallin' asleep on your head or some such thing!"

Leah shrugged. "We were having an argument. The Hat started talking like it wanted to put me in Hufflepuff, but I wanted to be in Gryffindor with you and Angelina. He did most of the talking, but I made bloody sure that it knew what I wanted."

Wren looked puzzled. "What changed its mind, do ye think?"

Leah smiled wanly. "I asked it to. The Hat seemed to think that was enough."

"Maybe it was…" said Wren softly. "Well, for whatever the reason, it's glad I am that you'll be with me, and that's the pure truth of it." Leah's smiled widened and became a little less tired.

After everyone had eaten as much as they possibly could, the food disappeared and the plates were wiped magically clean. Professor Dumbledore stood up again and addressed the students. "I hope that this shall be our most profitable year ever. We have but one new staff member to join us this year, Professor Amaryllis Kensington. She will be acting in the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." A cheerful, bustling looking woman looked up and smiled broadly down at the students. Her smile was genuine, and many of the students returned it. A third year girl leaned over to Angelina and whispered loudly, "She looks a heck of a lot bloody better than last year's Defense teacher. He was named Bremington Phillips, and he spent the whole year locked in his office teaching through the keyhole. Scared of his own shadow, he was. He thought that wrackspurts were after him, whatever they are," the student said dismissively.

Dumbledore continued. "As always, I must inform the new students and remind the old that the Forest is off limits to everyone. Mr. Filch has extended his list of forbidden artifacts, and has had a list posted in each House's common room. I suggest that you look it through to make sure you that you do have anything contraband in your possessions," he said dryly, apparently amused. After a few more mundane rules that Wren expected to not have any difficulty in following, Dumbledore finished, "All prefects should now lead their Houses to their common rooms. You will find your luggage in the correct dormitories, so do not fear on that account. Sleep well, and prepare, for tomorrow your education begins! Good night!" With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the school knew that they were dismissed.

Wren, Leah, Angelina, Lee, Fred and George, and a few other first years joined the crowd that surrounded a bellowing prefect, which Wren recognized to be another Weasley brother, Charlie. "First years, follow me, please." Wren eyed Charlie's bulk and hastened to follow quickly. Angelina and Leah walked on either side of her, and so they set off to find the Gryffindor common room.

By the time that the group stood before a massive portrait, Wren was feeling hopelessly turned around and lost. She had noticed that the subjects in the paintings moved, and that offered her no end of relief. Perhaps they would be so kind as to point her around the castle, for she certainly had no clue where she was. She remembered climbing at least two staircases and going through several strange doors and at least one passageway. She'd never be able to find her way back down to the Great Hall again, of that she was sure.

The entire group of Gryffindors stood before a portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress. "Why are we standin' here like a lot of tom-fools?" she whispered to Angelina. The girl merely grinned and said, "Just watch. You'll like it, I promise. This is how we get into the Gryffindor tower and common room. My mum told me all about it."

Just then to Wren's surprise, the portrait in the painting asked gravely, "Password?"

Charlie looked down at a piece of paper in his hand and answered crisply, "Morality tale," before the painting swung open and revealed a vast hole that could be climbed through. Charlie efficiently climbed through the hole, and the first years followed as best they could, some more falling than climbing.

The room that was revealed to them was enormous and friendly at the same time. Wren looked approvingly at the comfy chairs, roaring fire, and broad tables. "Ach, I think I'll be feelin' at home here. Mam and Da would approve."

A female prefect led Leah, Wren, Angelina, and two other girls that they had yet to meet up the stairs and into a circular room that contained five four-poster beds and tables. The draperies were of a deep red, and everything looked cozy and comfortable. "I can live here for seven years, no problem," proclaimed Angelina boldly. However, the girls were much too tired to get acquainted that night. They each busily settled their clothes and belongings into the wardrobes and bedside tables. Wren wrote a hasty letter to her parents, telling them that she had arrived safely and had been Sorted into Gryffindor and sent Mac Cuill winging away into the night with the missive. She'd send a much more detailed letter later in the week. Not long after that, all of the girls had collapsed into bed and were breathing softly in their deep sleeps. That is, all except Wren. She had never expected that it would be so hard to sleep without the soft murmur of the sea in her ears. Eventually, she managed to fall into a fitful sleep.

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A/N: You gonna push the button? Good little witches and wizards……


	5. Friends and Foes

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JKR's. If I did, I'd be driving a lot nicer car.

Note: You guys don't know how lucky you are to be getting this on my first day back at school. Still, I didn't want to keep you waiting. However, if you want regular updates, you're going to have to accept slightly shorter chapters. I'll do as much as I can, but even I can't juggle 17 hours at school, work, chores, and writing eleven pages each time I update.

However, this chapter was lots of fun to write. I'm going to make Snape slightly more manageable. While we know that he is a bitter sort of chap, I always thought that his attitude was called into high glow around Harry. He probably was much…well, I can't say better, but likely he was a lot easier to be around before he had to deal with the constant reminder of what he could never have.

Hit the review button! Those who do get a special prize! Dumbledore's portrait is giving out this one, so it could either be new socks, a lemon drop, or a spell to make you fly. Who knows which, if any, it shall be? Good luck and happy reading!

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The light poured into the dormitory, and Wren was awakened by the golden glow on her face. She slowly stretched and looked around her new room, still amazed at where she was.

In the bed next to her slept the timid Leah, who practically refused to leave Wren's side. Leah's hair was a light blonde, cut short around her face. The wings of it were forever falling into her face, and behind the hair hid small facial features and light grey eyes. Wren sensed her dorm mate's overwhelmed tension, and she ached to protect Leah. Having never experienced great amounts of trepidation, Wren felt sympathy towards those who did. She determined that she would be strong for Leah.

On the other side of Leah, Angelina was slowly stirring. Her black hair, carefully braided in two long plaits, spilled over her pillow, and her dark skin showed faint pink flushes. Wren already respected Angelina greatly as a girl of great spirit. She felt some kindred feelings towards Angelina, knowing that they shared a similar fiery nature.

In the bed next to Angelina slept a girl named Alicia Spinnet. She and Angelina had already become good friends, and Wren had a feeling that they would be best friends before long. A cheerful girl, Alicia sported dark brown hair and cheery brown eyes that sparkled with wit and warmth. She came from a wizarding family as well, so while she was excited to be at Hogwarts, she wasn't nearly as bewildered by it.

The last member of the dormitory was a tall girl named Katherine MacCredie. Her bed was on the other side of Wren's. This girl actually was from the village of Hogsmeade, so she didn't count the move to Hogwarts as any great ordeal. Pale red hair and dancing blue eyes made up her appearance. The greatest thing about Katherine that set her apart was her apparent laziness. Her end of the room was in total disarray, her clothes looking as if they had exploded from her trunk. Wren, while not being particularly neat herself, smiled wryly at the chaos. However, she had made an effort to put away her things neatly, out of respect to the other girls. Alicia Spinnet was the neatest one in the dormitory, and she had shuddered every time she had seen Katherine's end of the room. For all of Katherine's messy ways, she was genuinely kind…as long as you didn't wake up her too early.

Wren was carefully making up her bed when she noticed Leah starting to stir. She smiled as Leah yawned widely, and catching sight of Wren, grinned a smile so large that Wren feared her face would split. "Wren!" she said in a happy whisper, "good morning. My, you're up early."

Looking up in some small surprise, Wren replied, "Sure and this be quite late at home. By this time there, I would already have finished me chores and be standin' alongside the sea. I can't believe how sleepy everyone else be!"

Leah smiled. "Give them some time. Likely by tomorrow they'll all be rested and better able to face the day."

From Katherine's end of the room came a groan. "Why are you up so early? Go back to sleep!" Wren dodged the pillow that Katherine had sleepily thrown at her, and whispered to Leah, "I'm goin' to be gettin' out of dodge. I've no desire to be pummeled on me first day!" Leah snickered, and swiftly dressed and made her bed. Then both girls grabbed their wands and school bags, and crept out of the dormitory.

When they got down to the common room, Wren smiled at a ghost that was sitting there looking supremely bored. She had learned last night that this ghost was fondly referred to as Nearly Headless Nick, and was the resident Gryffindor ghost. "Top of the mornin' to you, Sir Nicholas! How you be, on this fine day?"

Nick turned, pleased to be addressed. "Good morning to you, Miss Gallagher! I'm doing quite well, thanks. But you're up quite early. Where are you headed?"

Wren looked at Leah, who shrugged. She didn't particularly care where she went. "I suppose we'll be lookin' for our breakfast, but I confess," Wren said with a small giggle, "I be havin' no clue as to how to get back down to that grand hall, and that's the pure truth of it!"

Nearly Headless Nick laughed. "Well, as I have nothing better to do, I'd be happy to lead you down there. That is," he said with a hopeful expression on his face, "as long as you don't mind my company."

Sensing a fellow creature's loneliness, Leah spoke up. "Of course, we'd be happy to walk down with you, Sir Nicholas! It's very kind of you to offer." Nick's happy face was all the repayment that the girls needed.

Nearly Headless Nick appeared to want to make the most of this opportunity, and did his best to be an interesting companion. He pointed out various tapestries and statues, and explained the stories behind them. Angelina and Katherine would have been bored to tears-they already knew about Wendelin the Weird and all of the other people that Nick talked of. Leah and Wren, however, were fascinated. They knew nothing about these characters, and found the stories to be hilariously funny. In no time at all, Nick had taken them down to the Great Hall. He took great pains to teach the girls all about the trick steps in the stairways and the doors that had to be tickled rather than simply opened.

Only a few people were in the Great Hall when Wren and Leah arrived. They settled down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to steaming bowls of porridge and comforting cups of chocolate and tea. Before long, all of the girls from their dormitory had joined them, with the exception of Katherine. Apparently, Katherine was having a hard time waking up, and the other girls had left her still dressing.

Near the end of the meal, Professor McGonagall came by, passing out schedules. After having learned that the Gryffindors' first lesson would be Charms, they excited the Great Hall, chattering excitedly. None of them could wait to use their wands for the first time. Wren fingered her own, which was lying in her pocket for easy access and felt her own hot anticipation flare up inside of her. Leah whispered nervously, "What if I can't get it? What if I don't have enough magic in me to make my wand work?"

"Don't be worryin'," replied Wren softly. "It's sure I am that you'll do just fine. The teachers won't be lettin' you fail."

After a great deal of trouble, which included briefly being locked in a secret passage before the passing Arithmancy teacher heard their struggles and let them out, the girls finally managed to find the right classroom. "Ye saints!" exclaimed Wren happily. "I was sure we'd be late, but somehow we're not!" Grateful that they would not be earning a detention on their first day, the girls found places near the Gryffindor boys, who looked self-conscious…and just as excited as they were. Fred and George were busy leaning over their desks, talking briskly with Lee Jordan. Wren wondered what mischief they were up to now. Putting Lee, Fred and George all in the same room seemed to be asking for trouble.

Wren nodded approvingly when she saw that their partners in this class would be the first years of Hufflepuff House. They all appeared to be gathered around the boy named Cedric, who laughing cheerfully over some small joke.

"Where's Katherine?" whispered Leah vehemently. "She can't miss our first lesson!"

Angelina shrugged. "We can't make her come to class. If she's late, it's her own fault." Wren silently agreed, but she was worried about Katherine. Who knew what detention would be like in a magical school?

Just then, a tiny wizard whom Wren assumed to be their teacher arrived. He walked/skipped towards the front of the class, and settled his massive books down with a loud bang. He had barely picked up the list of students when a red flash came through the door, and a girl flew into the seat next to Alicia. It was Katherine, looking considerably windblown and pleased with her performance. Catching Alicia's annoyed look, Katherine muttered, "What? I made it, didn't I?" Alicia didn't reply.

After calling role, the teacher began to speak. "Welcome to Charms class," he squeaked brightly. "I am Professor Flitwick, and I am aware that this is your first lesson. The most important part of any charm is not necessarily the words you use or the power of you wand, but sometimes it is all in the _motion_ of your wand." Flitwick sounded as excited over this as Wren would have expected him to be over having a three week holiday to Bermuda. She, personally, was experiencing some small feeling of disappointment. She had hoped that they would be performing actual spells today!

But it was not to be. The entire class was made up of note-taking and practicing the smooth motion of a proper spell-casting. The highlight of the lesson came at the end, when Fred and George were caught making paper airplanes with their parchment and Professor Flitwick made the planes fly away from their owners. At all of the students' approving gasps, Flitwick said cheerily, "We'll be learning about that spell next week, if I am satisfied with your wand movement. Remember, practice perfect! Dismissed!"

With a great thundering noise, all of the students pushed away from their seats and exited the classroom, talking excitedly about learning a charm next week. Leah, looking profoundly relieved, exclaimed brightly that, "That wasn't too scary after all!" Wren merely patted the girl's arm. Even though she had found the lesson unbelievably boring, she was glad for Leah's sake that she would be able to build some confidence first.

Immediately after Charms was their first Potions class, which Wren was personally looking forward to very much. She had always liked helping her mother cook, and had enjoyed making up recipes. She didn't think that Potions would be terribly different from that. While the teacher was reputed to be quite a piece of work, she was sure that with a quiet tongue and willing hands, they would get along just fine.

As it was, Leah kept quite close to Wren on their way down to the dungeons. "I've heard Professor Snape is nasty," she said with a hint of fear in her voice. "Do you think he'll be mean to us? We're only first years."

Angelina overheard Leah's comment, and gave the girl a quick squeeze on her arm. "Oh, Leah. The world is not out to get you! Don't worry; I'm sure everything will be fine with Professor Snape. Just listen closely, don't make him repeat his instructions, and above all, don't show him that you're nervous. If people know that you're afraid, it's all the more tempting for them to harass you. Besides, Wren, Alicia, Katherine and I won't let anything happen to you." Wren smiled as she saw that the same protective feeling that she felt towards Leah seemed to be taking over the rest of her roommates as they all nodded firmly.

The students were all sitting nervously in their seats when Professor Snape entered with a bang. His appearance was so fast that Wren found herself wondering if perhaps he had materialized out of thin air. "I won't be putting up with any foolish babbling, so don't even think of trying to giggle to one another in my classroom," he said without preamble. His silky voice sounded stern, but he didn't really frighten Wren. She knew his type; there were plenty of them in Ireland, where the boys felt that they had to be tough. "I am Professor Snape, and I shall be _attempting_ to teach your witless minds how the intricacy of potion making is done. I suggest that you pay abject attention, especially when I warn you that one wrong move in this class could result in some very painful consequences. While that wouldn't be such a lamentable thing, still the Headmaster would not be pleased. I won't be repeating myself, so do not even bother asking. Am I perfectly understood?" The class silently nodded and he said shortly, "Good. Then let us begin."

Over the rest of the class period, the students all followed Professor Snape's instructions. Having already labeled Snape as a blowhard, Wren found herself rather enjoying the classroom period. It was fun to see all of the queer things in her potion making kit, and she wasn't afraid of picking up slimy crocodile hearts or crunchy beetle eyes. She had grown up finding fish and other sea creatures in various states of decay along the sea shore, so this didn't bother her much. When the class was over, Professor Snape looked over all of the students' cauldrons. While he proclaimed most of the first attempts to be abysmal, he didn't give an approving sniff at both Katherine and Wren's cauldrons.

For Leah, however, it was a different story. She hated picking up the queer items, she didn't understand how to measure properly, and she couldn't seem to get a proper fire going under her cauldron. She sweated and fussed all through class, albeit silently as she sent Professor Snape nervous glances. Wren had tried to help her, but she didn't want to draw any more attention to Leah's struggles than the girl was already doing with her smoky fire and slightly green face.

When Professor Snape looked inside of Leah's cauldron, he discovered that she had only gotten halfway through the assignment, and had measured incorrectly what little she had done. "I wonder, Miss Noraway, why you even bothered coming to class," he said silkily. With a wave of his wand, the putrid smelling potion had vanished. "You receive a zero for today's assignment. I suggest that you do better next time, or there may be more serious consequences." With a sweep of his robes the professor had gone, luckily missing the furious look that Wren had shot at him.

Leah managed to make it out of the dungeon before bursting into tears. "I knew I couldn't do it!" she sobbed. "Why, oh, why did I ever argue with the Sorting Hat? I would have been better off in Hufflepuff…but I HATE being scared all of the time…I thought if I was in Gryffindor, your bravery would rub off on me or something!"

Katherine and Wren gathered soothingly around Leah, Angelina and Alicia being far too busy abusing Snape over his acidic comments about their own potions to notice Leah's distress. "Leah, the Sortin' Hat would never have placed you in Gryffindor if it not be where you truly belong," Wren said bracingly. "You are brave in your own way. Besides, you be young yet. Who knows what the years shalt bring ye? Don't be givin' up hope this early, lovey. Things will come right."

Katherine agreed. "Wren's right, Leah. Just walk in to our next Potions lesson with your head held high. You just allowed Snape to frighten you, that's all. You weren't doing yourself justice."

Sniffling, Leah said, "Are you sure?"

"Saints preserve us! Of course we be sure!" Wren replied brightly as she handed Leah a handkerchief. "Come along now. It's lunchtime. By the time you've had some sandwiches and puddin', things will seem lots better. You just wait and see."

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A/N: Come on….press the button….you know you want to……


	6. To Catch a Prankster

Disclaimer: in Snape's voice I weary of continually reminding you all of this fact. If only your abysmal minds could retain the information…I certainly and empathically do not own anything that that… Muggle has written. Now let that be the end of it, or you might find that your next drink tastes a little….peculiar. evil laugh

Note: Wow, I can't believe how lucky you guys all are. School is being really stressful, so I'm using this story to make myself feel better. So we all benefit! The new OC, Karrie Petersen, is based on my friend, Legalien. Hopefully I got her right. Tell me what you think! Happy reading!

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Wren slept fitfully after that first day, even though by all rights she should have been exhausted. As much as she found herself loving this school and all of its strange secrets and mysteries, the fact remained that she was homesick, pure and simple. She missed her mother and father, and the thought of Devlin brought a slow ache to her heart. She felt as if she could have borne it if she wasn't also separated from her beloved sea. Having never even spent a night away from the shoreline of the ocean, the air seemed heavy in Wren's ears without the pounding of the surf. Everything smelled different without the aroma of salt and fish floating on the wind. Even the grounds of Hogwarts looked brown and drab, being without the same green brilliance as Wren's home.

Finally five in the morning came, and Wren hadn't been able to sleep a wink. She had just tossed and turned. She remembered crossing the lake to get to the castle, and while it was certainly no ocean, it was the closest thing to it as she could get without giving up and going home. But were students allowed out of bed that early in the morning? _Best not get caught at it, then,_ Wren thought. A mere rule that she didn't even know if it existed or not wasn't going to keep her from the one place that might offer her comfort.

Quiet as a mouse, she got out of bed and dressed. She even picked up her school bag in case she didn't make it back to the dormitory before her first lesson. Then carefully, cautiously, she left the room and made her way through the deserted common room, and then out through the portrait hole.

The castle was completely silent. Even Wren's light footfalls sounded like gunshots in her ears as she made her hesitant way down corridors and through door ways. By some stroke of luck that she didn't understand, Wren made it to the front door of the castle without getting lost or being caught.

With some small amount of trouble, Wren finally struggled down the bank and found herself on the shore of the lake. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, trying to persuade herself that it was just like the ocean at her home in Ainmire. Although she wasn't quite successful, she felt a measure of calmness when she opened her eyes. The lake wasn't the same beautiful green and blue that the ocean was, but it was pretty enough in its own right, looking silvery in the weak early morning rays of sunlight.

"Aren't you up a bit early?" said a voice conversationally to Wren's right. Gasping as she whirled around, Wren beheld an older girl sitting nonchalantly on the ground, clutching a sketchpad and drawing the horizon in pencil.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Begorrah, and you gave me quite a fright!" said Wren, her accent thickening because of her brief fear. The girl that had addressed her had long blonde and blue eyes, with flawless pale skin. Wren guessed her to be a fifth or sixth year. Her robes had Gryffindor colors on them, and she had somehow managed to get a streak of pencil across her nose. "What are you doin' out here, in the wee small hours of the morn?" Wren asked curiously.

The girl shrugged. "What does it look like? Drawing!" She stood up and brushed a few leaves off her robes and came forward to where Wren was still standing incredulously. "My name is Karrie Petersen. You're a first year, aren't you?"

"Aye, that I be. My name is Wren Gallagher."

"Right, right," said Karrie, nodding. "I remember seeing your name on the list of new students."

Wren's nose wrinkled as a puzzled expression crossed her face. "And why would you be needin' my name in the first place?"

Karrie laughed. "I'm a prefect, Wren. Sixth year. You arrived with my cousins, Fred and George."

"I dinna know that they had a cousin here!"

"Well, you learn something new every day. We're cousins through our mothers."

It was as Karrie was speaking this that Wren noticed her odd accent, her vowels being very thick and heavy. "Where do you hail from, Karrie? I be Irish, obviously, but your accent is of the most peculiar sort."

Karrie sat down and Wren plopped down on the ground to join her. "That's easy enough to explain. My mother is from a pureblood family, the Prewetts. That's what Molly, Fred and George's mother, was before she married Arthur Weasley. When they were on vacation in Denmark, my mother met my father, a Muggleborn wizard. Usually such a union would be frowned upon by most pureblood family, but the Prewetts didn't care. My mother didn't even return to England with her family, she just married my father. I was born there in Denmark, and we lived there until I was four. By that point, my mother was missing England desperately, and there was my schooling to think about. There really wasn't a school of magic there that could compare to Hogwarts. So they moved back to England, and now here I am. My accent sounds strange because I learned to talk in Denmark, before I came here. I'm fluent in Danish," she said with a grin. "Now that you know my entire family tree, why don't you tell me what you're doing out here all by yourself, when the rest of your roommates are probably still sleeping?"

Normally Wren would have resented being asked just a thing, for why should she have to explain herself? But Karrie was kind, and Wren saw genuine concern shining from her eyes. _She be feelin' towards me how I feel towards Leah. She doesn't mean any harm by askin'. _So Wren replied, "To be perfectly truthful, and meanin' no disrespect to the school and all, I was lonely. My home in Ireland is but a few steps from the seaside, and I couldna sleep last night without the smell of the sea and the poudin' of the waves. This lake don't be much, but it's all I have to remind me of me home. I'm a half-blood, you see, and my brother, Devlin, aine a wizard. Only my da is magical in the house, beside meself. So I'm feelin' considerable homesick, as it were."

Karrie put a friendly arm around Wren's shoulders. "Don't worry, Wren, we all feel that way. I missed Denmark a lot when we first came to England, and it was worse leaving my entire family to come to Hogwarts. Still, after a couple of weeks, it doesn't hurt nearly as badly. Keep your chin up, and concentrate on your classes. That's the ticket, keeping busy. Speaking of which," she said as she stood back up, "from the sun I'd say it's near breakfast time. Come on; we should grab some food before my cousins eat it all."

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It was with mixed feelings among the girls when they reentered the common room that evening. I still laugh whenever I remember Wren's face-she looked so annoyed and out of sorts! I would rather have encountered a bear without a wand rather that try and cross her that evening.

That day, we had all had our first History of Magic lesson and to say that it didn't go well for Wren was quite possibly the understatement of the century, if not the history of the planet.

Wren was an active sort of person. If she had lived in the Muggle world, they probably would have diagnosed her with ADHD, but as the wizarding world scorned such diagnoses, Wren would have to struggle on her own. In most classes her active energy would have been an asset, not a problem. In Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions, and even some DADA classes, she was able to move around and talk and be able to get up from her desk. Not so in History of Magic. While she normally would have been fascinated by all of the new stories that she thought they would encounter in the class, Professor Binns' dry analysis of stirring events took the fire out of everyone, including herself. After the first two minutes of class, which had not even been broken by a roll call, she was wiggling and twitching at her desk and nearly driving those around her to distraction.

For a while, she contented herself by reciting poetry in her head. Then she thought about all the questions she wished to ask Karrie. When those devices ran out and another half hour to go in class, Wren started to get creative. She pulled out her parchment and busily drew a picture in her color change ink, humming slightly under her breath. Normally Angelina or Alicia would have nudged her in the ribs for doing this in class, but both of them were asleep with their heads on their desktops. Even Katherine was starting to look a bit glassy-eyed. Looking furtively around her, Wren pulled out her wand and experimentally tapped the picture before her. To her own delight, the picture, a hesitant self-portrait, began to smile cheekily up at her and wave its crooked little arm. Delighted with this success, Wren drew a picture of her cursing Professor Binns, and tapped the parchment again with her wand. It was all she could do to hold her laughter inside as she watched her animated self pointing the little drawn wand at the ghostly teacher, and the curse passing right through Professor Binns' nonexistent flesh.

She felt something poke her back and instantly sat up straight with her eyes on Professor Binns, thinking that she had been caught playing around. Professor Binns was still droning on and on without a pause, so she knew that she hadn't technically been taught. Then a whisper reached her ears. "Psst! Wren! Pass it over!" It was George Weasley, who was sitting directly behind Wren in class.

Slowly, Wren folded up the parchment, and passed it under the desk to George. She felt the desk behind her shake as she shared the picture with Fred and they burst out into silent laughter.

In spite of all this disturbance from Wren, however, Leah appeared absolutely fascinated at what Professor Binns was saying, and looked as if she was hanging onto his every word. After class, she exuberantly chattered on and on about the goblin war that they had apparently learned about. "Oh, wasn't that the best class ever? I wish we could go every day!"

"I don't, and that's the pure truth of it," Wren said under her breath. Katherine heard her and laughed.

Wren was still feeling grumpy that night, though. Sitting still had proven to put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day, with no help for it. That is, until she saw Fred and George Weasley sitting in the corner, talking busily under their breath with Lee Jordan.

"That doesn't look good," said a voice behind Wren. Recognizing Karrie's accent, Wren agreed. "I'd better go and see what they're up to; I'll be hearing it from Aunt Molly if they get into trouble on their first week of school. Come on, walk with me. Maybe they'll say what they're up to if you ask them."

Together they strode up to the boys, and Karrie, sending Wren a significant look, collapsed down into the armchair as if she had just had a very long day and wanted a nice, cozy chat. "So, what's going on with you two this evening?" she asked nonchalantly. Taking Karrie's lead, Wren sat down casually in another chair.

"Now why would a fine, upstanding prefect like you want to know?" asked Fred. He turned to look at his twin. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that she was snooping. What do you think, George?"

"I'd say it's pretty smart of her, Fred. We shouldn't be trusted, anyway" George replied, smiling brightly.

"Aye, that be the truth," laughed Wren. "Still and all, wouldn't it be better if you told us what mischief you were gettin' up, so we'll know what to tell McGonagall when she comes and asks abou' it?"

"Wren, Wren, Wren," said George slowly and seriously, shaking his head. "Really, you don't have any faith in our abilities to get ourselves out of a scrape, do you? Fred and I are professionals at all different kinds of mischief. We won't get caught, and on the remote chance that we do…"

"Our charming personalities will get us right back out of trouble again," finished George smoothly.

"Charming? Hah! You two are about as charming as a pair of foxes," replied Karrie. "I know better than that. However, on your own head be it. If you two get into trouble, don't come whining to Wren and I. We sure aren't going to put ourselves out to get you out of detention." She got up and sailed away, her head held high as if she was offended, but the twinkle of mirth in her eyes belayed that impression.

Wren leaned in conspiratorially. "So? What be the plan?"

Fred patted Wren's hand. "Now don't you be worrying your little head about that, Miss Gallagher. You'll appreciate the effects of it when we're gone. Now shoo!" he said, waving his hands at her. Still puzzled, Wren "shooed" and went to join her classmates.

That night, Fred and George snuck out of their dormitories, and climbed cat-like through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady never even woke up. "Come on! Duty calls!" whispered George.

"And so does eternal glory!" replied Fred. They skulked off down the halls and down, down into the depths of the castle, finally ending up at the door of the Slytherin common rooms. Fred handed George a sack, and with one swift motion, George dumped the bag's contents on the floor. The contents, which proved to be Dungbombs, went off fabulously and began to fill the corridor with their disgusting aroma immediately. Fred and George, pleased with their night's work, ran quickly away back to Gryffindor tower, going through as many shortcuts and secret passages that they knew. They were almost home free when suddenly…

A shadow fell across their path, and a heavy hand descended upon each red haired twin's shoulder. "Ahh! Students out of bed! You're in trouble now. Isn't that right, my pet?" The twins looked up, and saw the extremely happy face of the nasty castle caretaker, Argus Filch.

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A/N: Snape's voice again Sigh…how typical. Those Gryffindor mindless idiots actually got caught while defiling my own house. Pathetic. In any case, the Muggle author of this story has told me that you are all strongly requested to review. I would say thanks for the privilege of speaking to you, but as it has not been a privilege, that would be a disgraceful lie.


	7. An Idea That Didn't Hold Water

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JKR's. She's the true headmaster of Hogwarts…I'm still a first year.

Note: It is with great sadness that I dedicate this chapter to Legalien. Her mother passed away this morning…Legalien's mom was a true love of Harry Potter, and I hope and pray that she is at peace, and away from the pain of cancer. Please pray for Legalien as she goes through this time of trouble….This chapter is a rather irreverent one to dedicate to her mom, but I think that it's fitting in a way. The small workings of Hogwarts and the adventures of the Weasley twins amused her in life. Hopefully this will be a proper memorial to that fact and to the fact that even in times of trouble and sorrow, like the Second War, life does eventually go on. Never the same and changed, but continuous. And there's some small comfort in that.

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"And if I had my way, you two wouldn't just be scrubbing floors, oh, no, my sweet. You'd be hanging from that very wall from your thumbs, all four of them…" Filch's delighted voice droned on and on as he drolly extolled the twins with all of the punishments that they rightfully deserved after their stunt against Slytherin. While Fred and George were both interested beyond words in Filch's opinion, after a while the threats of disembowelment grew rather tiresome. When Filch's back was turned as he tried to regain control over himself at the thought of whipping the twins into shreds (he got a little too excited) Fred reached casually into his pocket and pulled out their back-up weapon: one unexpended dungbomb. With the flamboyancy of an artist, Fred casually lobbed the dungbomb and it exploded gloriously, filling the small office with clouds of disgustingly smelly air-with one new addition. George had placed a coloring potion inside the dungbomb, so that while the smoke was quite effective in the area of pungency, the smoke was also a deep purple color, giving Fred and George ample cover for getting away.

Whilst the twins were making their way out of the thoroughly upset office (and a thoroughly upset Filch, who was coughing while simultaneously attempting to throttle one, if not both, of the twins) they just happened to see an unopened drawer with an interesting label on it. They snitched the top paper and then ran for their lives, Filch bellowing like an angry bull behind them.

They didn't stop running until they made it back to their common room. The Fat Lady looked smugly down at them. "I suppose you two have been getting yourselves into trouble? And you expect me to let you in now?"

"Save the lecture," George panted. "Cassiopeia, for Merlin's sake!"

"Oh, all right," said the Fat Lady grudgingly, and she swung open to allow the twins access into Gryffindor Tower. They dove in headfirst, and met something far more frightening than either Filch or the Fat Lady had been: a thoroughly upset and bathrobe clad Karrie.

"Well?" she said in a sharp tone, uneasily reminiscent of her Aunt Molly. "What did you do? Better fess up now, so I can try and cover your bloody arses with McGonagall."

Fred cleared his throat uneasily, while George had the good grace to shuffle his feet along the carpet. Apparently decided that charm was the better part of wisdom, Fred pasted a gallant smile across his face and said soothingly, "Now, Karrie, really. Don't fuss; you might give yourself a headache. George and I merely thought that it would promote….err….interhouse relations if we broke the ice, so to speak, between Gryffindor and one of its entirely worthy adversaries…"

"Cut the waffle, Fred. Basically, you're telling me that you pulled a stunt on one of the houses? Who was it?" Karrie interrupted, her voice sounding like ice.

George coughed, the noise sounding suspiciously like "Slytherin."

"Slytherin? You mean it?" George nodded slowly. "Oh. Well, then why didn't you say so? I'm all for interhouse relations, but I got docked points today when a Slytherin seventh year said I'd broken his quill, or some such nonsense. Snape believed him, of course," she said exasperatedly. "But now that retribution has been justly given, no more. You understand me? If the houses continually bait and bully each other, it'll be war within Hogwarts." Both boys nodded, still looking puzzled. "Good night, then!" With a cheerful wave, Karrie disappeared up the stairs that led to the girl's dormitories.

"Blimey…I thought we were dead!" whispered Fred.

"Let's not press our luck," replied George. "We still haven't heard from McGonagall."

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When Wren next saw the twins, they were wincing at loud noises. "What's wrong with you two?" asked Angelina. "Get into a stash of butterbeer or something?"

"We wish," Fred said with a wince. "Our ears are still ringing from our lovely tea party with Professor McGonagall. She didn't seem to agree with us…we told her that we only thought that the Slytherins needed a little fumigation from all of the bugs that are sure to be in those old dormitories…"

"So she assigned us to clean out empty classrooms for the rest of the week," groaned George. "She said that if we were so concerned about cleanliness, we could do our parts to help out around the castle."

One of Karrie's friends, a Japanese girl by the name of Hotaru, said exasperatedly, "Honestly, can't you two just behave?"

Fred and George looked scandalized. "Why would we want to behave?" Fred asked, apparently astonished almost beyond words.

"Behaving is highly overrated," added George.

However, the twins didn't have much trouble with their detentions, having been thoroughly used to cleaning chores because of their mother's kindly influence. So they didn't count emptying old classrooms of all sorts of useful and potentially dangerous things a chore at all, a great many of which were successfully smuggled back to their dormitory for further experimentation. Besides, being punished had its values; they were enjoying their newly earned "hero" statuses with the rest of Gryffindor House for their antics. The Slytherins had vowed revenge, but nobody in Gryffindor appeared to be too worried about that. They were too busy laughing at the sight of the Slytherins avoiding their common room while waiting for Filch to finish clearing away all the Dungbombs.

As the weeks passed, everyone settled into Hogwarts. For Wren in particular, time seemed to stand still as she stayed in this wonderful place that she, by now, loved. She exchanged bi-weekly letters with her parents and brother; her father had even come to Hogwarts one Saturday to surprise her. It had been a wonderful day for Wren, as she walked around introducing Eamon to all of her friends and showing him her papers and grades.

Despite all of Snape's attempts to psych the Gryffindors out, Wren continued to do well in Potions, having a simple pleasure in the subject. The teacher, realizing that he wasn't going to intimidate her, now looked at the Irish student with a grudging measure of respect. For Leah, however, it was a different matter. She'd actually managed to melt two cauldrons, spill the entire crate of rat eyes, and, the crème de la crème, light Professor Snape's robes on fire. To say that the potions master didn't like her was a gross understatement.

Wren's core group of friends were all good people. Angelina and Alicia had bonded, so Wren didn't get to spend too much time with them. However, Katherine and Leah were both great, and the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan, and Karrie Petersen were all enormously kind and fun to be with. Karrie had become something of an older sister to Wren…both girls fell naturally into those roles. Wren had been a little sister all of her life, and Karrie had two younger brothers at home, Kristen and John. So Karrie missed mothering, and Wren, Leah and Katherine all received heaping doses of it.

Whenever possible, Wren, Karrie and often Leah and Katherine would slip away to the lake, where they would sit and talk and laugh. Wren would jump into the lake and swim around, to the great dismay of Leah, who feared that the lake contained fearsome monsters and creatures. Karrie was teaching both girls how to sketch, so that was a healthy diversion while Wren soaked and dove all over the lake. She even made friends with the squid, once she started bringing it her sausage from breakfast.

In the middle of October, all of the Gryffindors and Slytherins were heading down to the dungeon for their potion lesson. Leah had given up bemoaning her fate, and now trudged down the stairs like a prisoner heading for its own execution. Wren had also given up trying to cheer Leah up. The only way that Leah would ever succeed in Potions was for her to get over her fear of Snape and stop allowing him to intimidate her. It was as simple as that.

When they had entered their dungeon, Snape had silently pointed out the potion that they were supposed to make that day, a solution for healing sores. The instructions were already up on the giant chalkboard, so Wren efficiently set up her cauldron, lit a fire with her wand, and began the process of slicing hazel leaves while Leah was still trying to get her cauldron onto its holder properly.

Things continued to go downhill for Leah, and the agonized looks she kept sending at Wren were absolutely painful. When Snape turned his back, Wren was able to light Leah's fire and correct various parts of the potion, but it wasn't enough to keep the potion from turning pink, instead of the dark blue that it should have been. Leah's face grew paler and paler and her lips were quivering.

At the end of class, Snape came around as usual, examining everyone's potions. Wren's potion earned a curt, "Good," from the usually verbose teacher, who while having a good vocabulary when threatening the students, for the most part kept his comments to a minimum when a student had done well. Therefore, Wren was pleased with this one word.

Leah's potion had surpassed itself, apparently, for Snape completely lost it. "You silly girl, can you not even get an elementary potion even somewhat correct? I don't expect your vapid mind to be able to make a correct potion, but did you even get one ingredient inside that cauldron in the proper amount? It's absolutely disgraceful that I should be asked to teach a girl with so little talent in the art of potions. I wouldn't trust you with a bottle of glue!" He turned away with a swish of his black robes, but then turned around again to face Leah, where she was silently crying. "Having surpassed yourself in your usual mediocrity, Miss Noraway, you will be rewarded with a detention. Present yourself to Mr. Filch tomorrow evening for instructions. Dismissed!" He barked to the rest of the class.

Silently, the rest of the class gathered their things and left the dungeon, Wren's face red from trying to restrain her fiery anger. Couldn't Snape see that Leah just wasn't cut out for Potions? She would certainly do better without the constant criticism. Leah had cleaned up faster than anybody else and was walking swiftly down the corridor when Wren caught up with her. "Leah, wait!" Leah stopped, but did not turn to face her friend. "Leah, it's sorry I am to see you in such distress," said Wren breathlessly. "The horrid man, treatin' you in such a nasty way…"

"Stop it!" Leah cried out suddenly, shocking Wren from her speech. "I don't need any sympathy from you, Wren Gallagher. I see you next to me in Potions, making everything perfectly, but you never even tried to help me! Go on; enjoy your status as Snape's favorite student-see if I care! You can just….just drown in your own cauldron!" With a flick of Leah's short blonde hair, she was moving on down the corridor, leaving a horrorstruck Wren behind her.

"What…but I….." Wren said softly, unable to comprehend Leah's sudden spleen. Hadn't she always tried to help Leah in class? Didn't she try and shield Leah from Snape's gaze, and helped her light her fire and fix her ingredients? She didn't deserve to be yelled at….not a bit…

Thankfully, Potions had been the last class of the day, for Wren was far too upset to attend any other lessons. Turning, she ran out onto the grounds and didn't stop until she reached the lake. She stood on the shore, sobbing for a few minutes. _I've lost me best mate,_ she thought sorrowfully to herself. _Oh, how can I return to the castle, withou' her friendship?_ Casting off her robes and shoes, Wren dove headfirst into the lake in just her skirt, blouse and stockings. She swam deeper and deeper into the lake, peering through its green murkiness.

Everything was more peaceful here; everything was silent and wavering. The giant squid passed by to Wren's right, and waved a graceful tentacle at her. Wren stayed down in the depths until she started to run out of air, then she shot back up the service. She found that she was far out into the lake, the shore being barely visible. Her wild light brown hair was plastered to her head, but her face was more relaxed. For just a few minutes, caressed by the water, she forgot about her whole miserable day. Taking an enormous breath, Wren cast herself back under the surface of the water, and continued to kick down and down…

Green fronds waved back and forth around her, tickling her limbs as she swum in powerful strokes. Suddenly, out of nowhere came a cruel green arm that attached itself to Wren's leg. Surprised, she glanced down and saw a grindylow attempting to drag her further down into the lake. She reached for its green fingers that she might break its grasp, but it moved too quickly. It changed its grasp from one leg to the other, leaving long red scratches that bled into the water.

Another grindylow, and another came up and grabbed Wren's feet. She kicked, hard, but they didn't let go. She was running out of air. If she didn't escape the grindylows soon, she would run out of oxygen and drown. While Wren had always loved the water, and had always rather thought that she would far prefer to die in the water than outside of it, she didn't feel at all resigned to that fate. She didn't want to die now.

Suddenly, Wren remembered that she had placed her wand in her skirt pocket. Hoping against hope that it was still there, she managed to move and arm down, and grasp the thin piece of wind. Her strength almost gone, Wren screamed a spell underwater, one that she had only learned in class a few weeks before. "Wingardium leviosa!" The floating spell didn't have the same effect underwater, but it did pull the grindylows away from her legs and sent them floating in the waves away from Wren.

Her lungs screaming and her legs aching with every kick, Wren felt darkness gathering on the edge of her eyes. Just when she gave herself up for lost, she broke through the surface of the water, and coughed hard while floating weakly, unable to swim back to shore.

She floated for a while, trying to regain her strength. Wren finally glanced down and saw that her legs and stomach were bleeding badly. Coupled with her oxygen loss, she knew that she would have a hard time returning to shore. _Get goin', Wren!_ She commanded herself sternly. _Lyin' here and belly-achin' aine goin' to solve your problems. Just get back to shore and all will be well._ With this command firmly in her mind, Wren began the arduous and exhausting swim back to shore.

It seemed to take hours, but finally she dragged herself onto the shore, choking and coughing up water. She was sure that she looked a mess, all wet and bleeding and exhausted. She'd made it out of the lake…but now what should she do? No one was around to help her, and she lay there, shivering with cold and bleeding legs. Again determining that she'd have to do it herself, Wren pulled herself to her feet, and began the journey back to the castle.

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A/N: Please review….and leave a note for Legalien. She'll be able to see them, and I know it'll mean a lot to her. You'd impress me so much if some of you did this. Thank you.


	8. A Giant Helping Hand

Disclaimer: If I have to tell you all one more time that all of the Potterverse belongs to JKR and I only own Wren, Karrie, and Co., dementors are going to swoop down and administer the Kiss…to me. I'm tired of saying it. Having no soul would be restful…. :D

Note: This chapter is a little more morose than others. I promise we'll return to our usual lightheartedness next chapter….I was just in an incredibly foul mood today, so I didn't feel like writing in my usual sarcastic vein. However, I promise that I'm over the mood now and all will be well. Oh, and double thanks for everyone's kind reviews and notes to Legalien. You all just went up very highly in my estimation….

You know the drill. Press the button, or Snape might pay you a personal visit…bearing a potion that will turn you into your most hated vegetable. horrified scream There. Knew that would get you! Review!

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Wren was stumbling along towards the castle. It was starting to get dark, and she was really cold by now. _This be just the grandest situation ever_, she thought morosely to herself. _Wren Gallagher, fiery Irish lass…and she can't even keep herself out of trouble! At least the Weasley twins were in glamorous trouble…this be "what were you thinking?" kind of trouble, _Wren berated herself. She was highly embarrassed to be in this situation.

She was almost halfway to the castle when she heard singing coming from behind her. Turning, she saw the giant Hagrid coming nearer and nearer. He looked jovial, and for a minute Wren's heart lifted. Here was a kind soul, someone that could maybe help without her making a fool of herself in front of the rest of the school.

It took a minute for Hagrid to notice her, but then his eyes swung and he got a look of that wet dreary mess that was limping towards the castle. "Blimey! What 'appened to you?"

"Evenin', Hagrid," Wren said weakly, her voice weary but still with its rolling accent. "I had some trouble with the lake, as it were."

Hagrid's beetle black eyes took in Wren's bleeding legs and stomach, and her tremors as she fought against the cold. "You need 'elp, and that's for certain. Ain't your name Swallow or somemat?"

"Wren. My name be Wren Gallagher. I'm in Gryffindor." Wren said, her teeth chattering.

Hagrid shook his head, and leaned down to swoop Wren up in his arms. She looked at him thankfully, but gently pushed his hands away. "Thank you, Hagrid, but I don' wan' to be carried, and that's the pure truth of it. I've no wish to appear like some weakling who can't take care of herself, even though I be lookin' it right now. I made it this far. If you wouldna mind just helping me along, as it were, I'd be truly grateful and all."

But Hagrid ignored Wren completely and just picked up her anyway. He could see that she was going to need the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey's attention. "Now stop yer fussin'," he said gruffly, his massive beard tickling Wren with every word. "Everyone's still at dinner, so nobody will see yeh goin' to the hospital wing. Now be quiet," he said with a laugh in his voice. This kid was feisty and no mistake about it.

Wren stopped fussing, but she did grumble under her breath. Thankfully, Hagrid was right. Nobody was around to notice the supreme humiliation of a dripping wet and bleeding girl being carried by a giant up to the fifth floor. Madame Pomfrey looked up, startled, when they came through the door. "My heavens!" she screeched, hurrying over to Hagrid. "Put her on that bed, there, Hagrid….thank you….well, how'd you managed to do this damage?" she asked sharply at Wren, as Hagrid uncomfortably bowed himself out of the hospital wing.

"I was in the lake," Wren said defiantly. "I always go swimming in there. But this time…well, it dinna go the right way. I got attacked by them horrid grindylows…they held me under. Finally I got me wits about me, and managed to send a spell at 'em. They let me go; I made it up to the surface before I drowned, dragged meself to shore and set about tryin' to get to the castle so I could lie down and rest. Hagrid was tolerable kind and all, helping me get up here. Not sure if I could have made it by meself, and that's the pure truth of it," she admitted.

Madame Pomfrey had been busy while listening to Wren's account. First she piled blankets all around the shivering girl, and then pointed her wand at the mass. The blankets heated up magically, and Wren was snuggled in warm bliss. She started to warm up. Then the nurse was pressing a goblet of steaming potion into Wren's hands. "There you are, drink that. It's excellent for falling into lakes and almost drowning," she said sharply, rolling her eyes a little. "It'll warm you up fast, too, and then I'll get to work on these scratches." Wren took an experimental sip, and almost choked as she felt the potion rushing through her, warming her up and making steam come out of her ears.

Suddenly the door opened again, and an upset boy and girl came through the door. "How was I supposed to know that it was an exploding quill? I was just reaching for my sketchpad and it blew up in my face!" The girl said with exasperation.

The boy replied darkly, "I'll bang their heads together for this. It goes too far when somebody gets hurt. Mum'll explode if she finds out…But I'm sure they didn't mean to hurt anyone. They just didn't think. I'll talk to them."

Madame Pomfrey bustled over to the pair while Wren struggled to free herself from the blankets enough to see who had entered. She groaned softly when she realized that it was Karrie and the older Weasley brother, Charlie. Karrie was nursing one of her hands, and Charlie was helping her along, looking greatly concerned. His kind face was creased with distress, and his touch was obviously gentle. Wren had heard that he liked working with animals, and she could see it now as she watched Charlie with the wounded Karrie. He would do well with animals with his calming and simple ways. "Well? What is it now?" asked Madame Pomfrey sharply as she strode up to the pair.

"Erm…well, I've got a burned hand, Madame Pomfrey," said Karrie sheepishly, trying to avoid telling the nurse the whole truth. Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes and guided Karrie over to the bed beside Wren's. Karrie didn't notice Wren for a minute, partly because of her own preoccupation with the pain, and partly because of Wren's resemblance to an ice-bound Eskimo with steam pouring out of her ears. Suddenly Karrie caught sight of Wren's frizzy hair poking out the top if the blanket. "Wren?" Karrie asked hesitantly. "Is that you?"

Wren sighed heavily. "Aye, that it be." She struggled to turn around enough to face Karrie, but before anything else could be said between the two, Madame Pomfrey came bustling over. "Now, then, Miss Petersen," she said briskly to Karrie, "here's a fine salve for your hand." She smeared thick purple goo all over Karrie's hand and then wrapped it up in gauze. "It should be all healed by tonight, but keep the dressings on during the night. Before classes tomorrow, come again and I'll take the bandage off, and your hand will be good as new. Now run along, I'm sure you don't want to be here any longer than you have to." Charlie patted Karrie on the back and then left, obviously going to do some serious damage to the twins' opinions of themselves.

Madame Pomfrey turned her attention back to Wren, but Karrie didn't leave. Instead, she turned and walked around the bed to stand beside her friend. "Please Madame Pomfrey, can't I stay with Wren? I'm her prefect… and her friend," she said, sending an anxious glance at the first year. Wren shot her a grateful look.

"All right, but don't get in my way," replied Madame Pomfrey quickly. "She's got some lovely cuts that need healing up." She turned back to Wren. "Are you thoroughly warmed up now?"

Nodding, Wren replied, "Aye, and thanks for that, Madame Pomfrey." Wren made a move like she was going to climb down off the bed, being thoroughly tired of all this attention, but Madame Pomfrey would have none of it.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet, so you can just sit right back down again. Move!" Hearing the iron in Madame Pomfrey's voice, Wren reluctantly settled back down. Karrie nudged her arm and sent her a look that said clear as day, "Behave yourself!"

Madame Pomfrey began the process of unwrapping Wren from the blankets, and the student felt somewhat like a recently unearthed ancient mummy. She shivered when the warmth left the blankets. She was still warm, but the cold air hitting her limbs was slightly shocking. Karrie gasped when she saw the deep gashes that bled down Wren's legs and the three slashes across her belly. "Wren! What in the world?"

"I'll be tellin' you about it later, Karrie. Now don' fuss, mind. I'll be makin' it just fine, as soon as Madame Pomfrey stops the bleedin' and all."

Karrie didn't ask again, but her blue eyes never left Madame Pomfrey as the nurse put sticky green glop into Wren's cuts before healing them with her wand. Then she handed Wren a small cup with just a smidgen of potion in the bottom. "I'm giving you just a bit of a Blood Replenishing Potion, just to make up for what you've lost. You may be weak for a few hours until it takes effect, but then you should be fine. Normally I would insist that you stay in the hospital wing that long, but I have a feeling that I would have to tie you to the bed to make you stay. If your friend will help you back to Gryffindor Tower, I'll let you go now."

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," replied Wren, truly grateful. "It's in your debt I am, and that's the pure truth of it." She hopped off the bed in an attempt to appear strong and well, but all she did was stagger as her feet hit the floor and a wave of dizziness swept through her.

"None of that!" screech Madame Pomfrey as she reached out a hand to steady Wren. She was already regretting her decision to let Wren leave, and she had half a mind to revoke the permission. "Silly girl, do you _want _to faint? If I have to heal a cracked skull, then you really will have to stay in the hospital wing tonight. Go slowly, for Merlin's sake!"

Karrie rushed over and put an arm around Wren's waist. "Come along, Wren. We'll take it nice and slow…I know a shortcut so you won't have to see anybody until we get back to the common room. You won't have to climb so many stairs, either." Wren's face pale, she nodded gratefully and leaned heavily on Karrie's arm as they made their way out of the hospital wing, going at a rate comparable to that of a sleepy tortoise. Madame Pomfrey watched them with worried eyes, shaking her head.

Luckily, Karrie's shortcut was mostly inside the walls of the castle, so they were able to make it all the way back to Gryffindor Tower without meeting anyone but the Bloody Baron, who sneered contemptuously at them both. Along the way, Wren filled Karrie in on all that had happened, including the disastrous potions lesson and Leah's angry explosion. When they made it back to the Fat Lady's portrait, Karrie gave the password and helped Wren through the entry hole. Barely had they made it inside when they heard a small scream.

"Wren! What happened?" Katherine, who had been sitting in an armchair reading a book because she had finished dinner early, rushed over to help Wren into another chair. Wren shook her head at Katherine. "It aine as bad as it be lookin', Kate," she said, giving Katherine the pet name that Wren had given her their third day of school. "If you'd just be helpin' me up to my bed, I'd sure be obliged. Give me some sleep and I'll be right as rain in the morn."

With Katherine and Karrie's help, Wren was able to put on clean pajamas and crawl under the covers of her bed, her energy completely spent. Karrie left for a few minutes, and then returned with a plate of food from the dinner table. Wren only ate part of the meal before drifting off to sleep, exhausted and warm.

Karrie and Katherine tiptoed out of the dormitory and down into the common room, where they sat quietly. Karrie filled Katherine in on what had happened to Wren and why she herself had a bandage on her hand. She was just finishing up when a morose Leah dragged herself through the portrait hole, looking quite soggy from crying. She didn't even say hello to Karrie and Katherine; she just dropped sullenly into a chair by the fireplace.

Pretending that she didn't know anything about Leah and Wren's row, Karrie called cheerfully, "What's got your goat?"

"Nothing…"said Leah distantly. Then under her breath she muttered, "Just supposedly best friends who are always trying to one-up you…"

"What do you mean?" said Katherine sharply. She wasn't as good at acting as Karrie was; the prefect sent her a warning glance, and she shut her mouth.

"Bloody hell!" exploded Leah, her face bright red as she stood up and glared at Katherine. "Leave me alone, ok? All these people, trying to help me to my face and then playing teacher's pet when I'm not looking! Just leave me bloody alone!" She stalked off towards the stairs that led to the dormitory. Karrie called out, "I wouldn't go up there, if I were you."

Leah whirled around. "I'd like to see you stop me!" With a defiant glance, she kept right on course. Karrie warned her again to stop, but Leah didn't. She put her foot on the first stair step up, and all hell broke lose.

Moving faster than Katherine could see, Karrie had pulled out her wand and shouted "Petrificus Totalus!"

At the Full Body Bind, Leah's entire body stiffened. Unable to keep her balance, she fell over, luckily onto a pillow that Karrie slid into place. Her eyes still glared angrily up at Karrie. Her thoughts couldn't have been any clear. "What was that for? What are you doing?" were the messages that those angry eyes delivered.

Karrie got up, her eyes blazing. Neither of the two younger students had ever seen her in this dangerous sort of mood. She went and stood before Leah, towering above her, and quite frightening with her aura of offended majesty. "I'll let you go in just a minute, but first you're going to listen to me. I'm in no mood to be trifled with, understand? There you are, all crestfallen and misunderstood, while Wren came bloody close to dying today!" Leah looked confused, and Karrie continued, "Yes, I'm telling the truth! She was so upset by your little tirade that she went down to the lake for a swim, in an attempt to comfort herself. She couldn't understand why you had said that she never tried to help you in potions, so she was trying to figure that out as well. She was pretty far out when she was attacked by grindylows," Leah's body rolled a little, as if she was trying to break free of the curse. "Be still! You won't break free, and I'm not finished. The grindylows almost dragged Wren down, and nearly drowned her before she finally managed to curse them off of her and get to the surface. Did you hear me, Leah? She almost drowned! She made it back to shore somehow, with wounds from the grindylows. After dragging herself along for a while, Hagrid finally found her and brought her up to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey fixed her up, but she's exhausted. She had to have a Blood Replenishing Potion, so she's in bed trying to get some rest. That's why I wouldn't let you go up there, stomping and carrying on.

"I hope you're satisfied with yourself, Leah Noraway. Your best friend was so worried and upset about _you_ that she disregarded her own safety. Am I saying what she did was smart, going off by herself like that? I am not, and I'll be fussing at her, too, tomorrow. However, I think that this is a very good time for you to step back and examine what you're _really_ upset about. You might be surprised at what you find."

Karrie didn't say anything more. She just waved her wand, and Leah was released of the curse instantaneously. She staggered to her feet and was still for a minute, before looking at Karrie with tear-filled eyes. "I…I never meant to hurt her! I swear! I was just so…so…jealous!" With that last sobbed word, Leah burst into tears and flung herself at Karrie.

Katherine fully expected Karrie to toss Leah away from her, but instead she held the young girl close and smoothed her hair. "Shhh…shhh, love. It'll be all right. You just needed to hear all that. My fussing's over now, you've learned, and now we can move on." With a few more comforting words, Leah finally gained control of herself and pulled away from Karrie, sniffling. "You're right, Karrie. I was just so angry and frustrated at Potions that I took it out on Wren. She didn't deserve that…I guess I was just so jealous because she always gets the potions right. It sounds so stupid now. But honest, I never meant for her to get hurt!"

Cupping Leah's head in her hands, Karrie replied gently, "I know that, Leah. You weren't directly responsible for what happened, but you helped it along. Besides, you have no reason to be jealous over Potions, when you're so much better at History of Magic than Wren is! She's awful at that…failed her last essay, apparently. So don't feel like the underdog, because you're not. You just have different strengths, that's all. Now, I suggest that you go upstairs as quietly as you can, crawl into bed, and make up with Wren in the morning. I promise that everything will look better then." Pulling out her wand again, Karrie efficiently transfigured a goblet of water into a glass of milk. Katherine shot her an impressed look. "Milk always makes me feel better when I've been crying," she said briskly. "Now run along, and I'll see you tomorrow."

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Wren slept much later than she usually did the next morning, but when she awoke she felt as good as new. She knew that she'd feel even better after a bath and fresh clothes. She was just starting a delicious yawn and stretch session when there came a sudden whirl from the bed beside her. There was a loud noise, a flying leap and Leah landed, knee's first, on Wren's bed, causing Wren to bounce up in the air. "I…I… I'msosossrycanyoueverforgiveme?" Leah said in a huge rush, like she'd been waiting a while to say it.

For a minute Wren just sat there, puzzled. But once she had deciphered Leah's sentence, she started laughing and couldn't stop. Leah had looked so funny, like a flying squirrel! Apparently relieved to have this reaction instead of an angry or haughty one, Leah started laughing as well, and soon both girls were rolling back and forth along the bed and Katherine was throwing pillow after pillow at them. Still snickering, both girls threw on bathrobes and headed down to the common room. Once they were there, Leah gave a proper apology and explained why she had behaved towards Wren as she had. Wren forgave Leah, and both girls got bathed, dressed, and went downstairs to eat their breakfasts.

They were irresistibly cheered up when later _somebody_ bewitched Snape's seat so that it burned cheery red when he sat down, causing him to jump up with a high-pitched scream. Despite dedicated efforts on the parts of the staff, the culprits were never found.

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A/N: So who do you think did it? Review….or the vegetable bin just might come to your house tonight…spooky laugh


	9. Airheads

Disclaimer: I don't own anything by JKR. Satisfied?

Note: Sorry that this update was so long in coming. Life has sped up, but I'll try and get you another update to this a lot sooner. It's a cliffie, so I'll try to save you from your agony! Oh, and "Aeris Contego" is Latin for "air shield." Gotta love those English-Latin dictionaries.

Many thanks to those of you who already review, but I would like to be getting some more, please. It's not hard; just push the little button at the bottom. Thank you!

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The cold winds of autumn blew in October 31st, one of the most important days of the magical year: Halloween. Wren and Karrie had both completely recovered from their escapades, and the girls in the Gryffindor first year dormitory had become much closer. Once Leah had exploded, she became a lot more verbal about her thoughts, not just her fears. She had become a minuscule bit better at Potions, too, mostly because Wren had taken her down into the dungeons one Saturday (this had taken much groveling to Snape, but he eventually allowed it) and they had spent the entire day there, practicing cutting, measuring, and lighting the fires underneath cauldrons. Leah still didn't have a feel for potion-making, but she could at least get through an assignment now-minus the melting of cauldrons. In return, she helped Wren with her History of Magic work, so at least Wren was no longer in danger of failing that subject.

Angelina and Alicia had taken to spending every single bit of their time watching all of the Quidditch team practices, whether they were Gryffindor team practices or not. Wren knew that both girls wanted to try out for the team next year when they were second years, so she wished them luck in their endeavor and gave them crooked smiles whenever they returned, breathless and excited by all that they had seen.

Autumn seemed especially biting that year; students were grateful for their House scarves as they wrapped them closely around their necks, journeying from one class to the next. Thankfully, the only class that the first years had outside of the castle was Herbology, and that was always held in one of the sun-baked greenhouses. Potions, down in the cold stone dungeons, however, would have been completely miserable had it not been for the presences of all the sparkling fires that lit the cauldrons.

After Karrie's fussing, Wren never went swimming alone again. However, that didn't mean that she stopped going. Much to everyone's dismay, not even the cold weather stopped her from diving into the frigid waters of the lake. "It got cold in Eire," was her staunch reply whenever anyone tried to show her the error of her ways, "and I was always a-swimmin' there, winter or summer. A wee bit o' ice aine goin' to stop me." Eventually Karrie gave up arguing, especially once Wren learned how to brew some Pepper-Up Potion on her own and starting bringing a flask of it down with her to the lake. After a brisk swim, the potion warmed her up instantly, and she would return to the castle, happy and content.

She did miss visiting the wavering world far beneath the surface, but the cold did affect how she swam, if not how much she swam. When a person swims in cold water, the shock of it takes their breath away. Wren couldn't dive nearly as far down as she used to, because she would run out of air.

One day, Karrie took pity on Wren's distress. I still remember the look of hope on Wren's face when Karrie came up to her in the common room. "Wren, I don't think I'm wrong in saying that you'd like to learn how to hold your breath longer under that nasty cold water?" Wren nodded, a little puzzled. "Well, as much as I hate to encourage this foolishness of yours, I think I can help."

"Cor! Do you think you could be doin' that for me, Karrie me lass? I'd be ever so grateful!" Wren said, leaping from her armchair in her excitement.

Karrie sighed. "Grab your wand and a warm cloak and come with me. I'll show you how down by the lake."

In a flash, Wren had rushed up the stairs to retrieve her cloak and scarf and was back downstairs before Karrie could finish wrapping her own scarf around her neck. Wren looked over at Leah, who was curled up by the fire with a book. "Wanna come, Leah? It don' be that cold at all."

Leah looked up from her book, her finger marking her place. Normally she wouldn't have let Wren out of her sight, but thankfully, she was slowly learning how to take care of herself. "No thanks," she said with a mock shiver. "It's far too cold down by that lake of yours. You go on, and I'll see you when you get back. Don't forget about the feast tonight!"

"Oh, don't worry," said Karrie with a laugh, "we won't." With a last wave to Leah, both girls exited out of the portrait hole and walked through the castle, out onto the grounds, and ended up by the lake. "Now then," said Karrie in a business-like manner, "take out your wand." Wren obeyed. "What I'm going to teach you is a fairly easy charm, the Bubble-Head Charm. In fact, you'll probably learn it in class before Christmas, but I'm not so mean as to make you wait until then."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness," Wren replied sarcastically, and Karrie lightly hit Wren over the head with her wand, making a lock of her hair turn blue for an instant.

"I'll have none of that sass, you little leprechaun! Now, on to business! What this charm does is provide you with a bubble of air around your head, giving you the rather funny impression of walking around with a fishbowl on top of your head. Still, it is effective for swimming…that and trying to escape from the smell of Dungbombs," Karrie said with a shudder. "Believe me, personal experience fuels that expression. You try to spend a summer with Fred and George cooped up in a house with no magic allowed. In any case, the incantation is _Aeris contego_."

"_Aeris contego_," Wren repeated with careful concentration.

"Right, you've got it. Once you've got the proper wand motion, you should have no problem casting the charm. Observe." Pointing her wand at her own head, Karrie said quickly, "_Aeris contego!_" Instantly, a barely visible bubble appeared around Karrie's head. While mostly clear, in certain lights the bubble attained the barest hint of blue. "The color depends on the person. I've seen a few unlucky people with blackish colors…makes it hard to see." With a quick swish of her wand, the bubble around Karrie's head disappeared. "Now, you try."

Wren nodded and pointed her wand at her head. "_Aeris contego!_" A bubble appeared around Wren's head, and she smiled in a pleased way…that is, until the bubble started to expand around her head. It got bigger….and bigger…and bigger….."It's gonna blow!" squawked Karrie as she moved a few steps back from Wren. The first year was trying to decide how you were supposed to protect yourself from an explosion that was going to occur around your own head when BOOM! So much air escaped from the exploding bubble that ripples appeared on the water, and the squid poked one of its tentacles up experimentally, no doubt wondering what was causing all the commotion.

Karrie had ducked and covered when she saw that the bubble was going to explode. Wren was merely standing there, shell shocked. The look on her face was so funny that Karrie started to laugh, and finally Wren had to join her.

Gasping, Karrie said haltingly, "I think….you were a little…..haha….too enthusiastic. Don't put so much…..muahahahahah!...energy into it next time! We certainly don't want you to….blow down the school!"

"Energy. Too much. Got it," replied Wren in short bursts, as she tried to catch her breath again. Cautiously, she raised her wand again. "_Aeris contego!_" This time, a small bubble formed around Wren's head, and expanded just enough to keep it from interfering with her hair and ears. The bubble had just the barest hint of green around it. "Begorrah! This be a new one for me," Wren said, her voice slightly muffled from being inside the balloon of air. "Will this also be keepin' my hair dry?"

Karrie nodded. "Yes, so I don't have to worry about you catching cold nearly as much anymore." Wren started to remove her cloak so that she could truly test out the bubble, but Karrie put out a hand and stopped her. "We don't have time for you to go swimming now, silly goose! Just stick your head under the water to see how it works; then we need to head back up to the castle. It's Halloween, remember?"

"Right you are," Wren said sheepishly. She went over to the shore of the lake, and submerged her head under the water. A few minutes later, she popped back up again and looked at the patient Karrie. "I can breathe and everythin'! What a blessin' this be! Thank you, Karrie!"

In her excitement, Wren got up and went over to embrace Karrie, but bounced back when the bubble hit Karrie's chest. Both girls were thrown to the ground by the impact of the collision. Karrie groaned. "Uhhh, Wren? How about you getting rid of that bubble before you come near me again? I'm starting to regret teaching it to you!"

"I think you be right on this one," Wren agreed. With Karrie's instructions, Wren was soon returned to her non-fishbowl self. Both girls started to trudge back up to the school again. Along the way, Wren said thoughtfully, "You know, I bet nobody's explored the bottom of that lake before. I wonder what's down there? Do ye think the squid has a family or anythin'?"

Karrie groaned louder. "Now I'm REALLY regretting teaching that charm to you. Wren, promise me you won't get yourself involved in anything dangerous, all right?"

"Ach, Karrie, what's wrong with a little adventure? I'm sure it aine bad down there." Karrie sent Wren a scorching glare. "All righ', all righ', keep your petticoats on. I swear that I won' get myself involved in anythin' too dangerous. Fair enough for ye?"

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you deliberately put a loophole into my statement and just pretend innocently to myself that you're going to do exactly as I asked," replied Karrie with great dignity. "Look, just don't let me see you all bruised and bloody from some rare form of killer rock that lives down there, got it?"

Wren's head lifted and a mischievous glint came into her eyes. "Killer rocks? Do you think there really are such things? I might get extra credit with Snape or Sprout for bringin' somethin' like that in…." By this point they were back at the castle, so Wren was saved from being smacked by Karrie. Sometimes in life there are small favors.

There was no time to return to their dormitories to change or anything, so both girls just headed into the Great Hall as they were, after slinging their cloaks over the arm of a convenient suit of armor. It's helmet clanged shut in protest, but they just ignored it and went on about their way. When the two girls entered the Great Hall, Wren looked about herself at the golden pumpkins flying in the air and at the bats swooping. This was going to be a new experience, that was for sure.

Soon enough, Karrie and Wren had found places at the table with Leah, Katherine, and two of Karrie's roommates, Hotaru and Celia. As they ate their way through several delicious dishes, however, Karrie started to look around. Finally, Celia asked what she was looking for. "It's far too quiet….and that's bad enough at a place like Hogwarts. And I fear the reason that it's far too quiet is that I don't see Fred and George. Where are they, do you think?"

The question went unanswered as suddenly an enormous bellow echoed through the castle. The students all stopped eating and looked up from their plates. At the high table, Dumbledore stood up and listened carefully, gesturing for the students to be quiet. Then, the call came again, and this time some words were distinguishable through the roar. "Dumbledore! Get out here now!" Karrie and Wren looked at each other. "Uh oh," said Karrie breathlessly, as Professor Dumbledore strode up the center aisle, followed closely by Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick. After giving the teachers a proper head start, all of the students slunk out of their seats and followed the headmaster out the Great Hall and through the front doors, where they beheld a sight that none of them had ever seen before.

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A/N: Dum dum dummmmm!!!!!!!!!! What is it, do you think? Press the review button and tell me how I'm doing! begs on bended knee


	10. Disturbing Magical Creatures

Disclaimer: Don't own it. If you think I do, you need to go pay a visit to Aragog. He'd appreciate some flesh like yours.

Note: Sorry that this took so long to update. I'll try not to keep y'all waiting like that again. I need some more reviews, if you don't mind. I hope you enjoy this chapter…I'm gonna have a lot of fun with these new characters! Tell me what you think!

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The students pouring out of Hogwarts were met with the sight of no less than ten centaurs standing just outside the tree line of the forest. "Stars above!" breathed Hotaru at Wren's left, breathing hard as she clutched a stitch in her side. "I've never seen centaurs before! I thought that they never left the forest!"

There wasn't time for anything else to be said as a centaur strode forward and looked down at Dumbledore. "Dumbledore, we have long lived at peace with one another, centaurs in the forest and humans outside of it. That is our way. However, we cannot continue in such peace of my people are continually harassed. I believe these belong to you." With a flick of the centaur's tail, two others came forward dragging two struggling figures. Wren heard Karrie catch her breath as the light from Dumbledore's wand caught red hair. It was Fred and George.

"Professor, we only thought-"

"That is, we mean to say-"

Dumbledore's voice, cold and stern cut off the twins' explanations. "Be quiet, you two. We'll speak of this in a minute." He turned back to the centaur, and bowed politely. "Magorian, I do apologize for this inconvenience. You have my assurances that this won't happen again…however, I must ask merely for the record's sake. What were Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley doing in the forest? How were they causing a disturbance?"

Magorian growled. "They were looking for something, and disturbed my people as we were attempting to divine the stars, on this important night. They have already interfered with our practices and customs. Normally I would not leave the forest for such a trivial matter, but it was too much to let pass, on All Hallows Eve. The stars demanded no interruption in our communion with them, and it was halted. This is inexcusable."

Dumbledore nodded. "I understand and apologize for their intrusion, Magorian. As do they, I'm sure." His blue eyes, normally so bright, stared hard into both Fred and George's eyes. Wren could see both twins gulp hard before they turned to Magorian with what appeared to be a sincere show of shame.

"We apologize, sir. We never meant to cause home," said Fred in a shaky tone of voice, while George merely nodded fervently.

Magorian nodded gravely at them once, and then turned and trotted back into the forest, followed by his fellows. In but a few seconds, they were gone from sight, and even the sounds of their hooves couldn't be heard over the muttering of the students. All chatter stopped, however, when Dumbledore turned to face the Weasley twins. "You two," he said gravely, "will come to my office immediately. As for the rest of you," he said, raising his voice so that all of the other students could hear, "you will return to your common rooms, please. The feast is at an end. Good night!" No one even daring to argue, the students began to troop back into the castle and bypass the Great Hall, where a few students who hadn't eaten their fill cast longing looks. Karrie hadn't said a word, and Wren looked up at her friend in surprise. The prefect's jaw was completely set, and her face was pale and angry. Wren winced. If she were Fred or George, she'd run for the hills before she met Karrie in this towering fury.

Meanwhile, Fred and George were trying to get through the misery of being sent to Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall had a hand on each of their arms, and by the way she was pinching, they both knew they'd have bruises in the morning, although McGonagall probably didn't even realize she was doing it. Dumbledore strode ahead of them and looked at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to his office. "Chocolate frog!" he said quietly. The gargoyle nodded and sprang aside, revealing a revolving staircase, moving up…up…up….both twins gulped again as they were pushed forcefully onto the steps by Professor McGonagall.

Once they had entered the headmaster's office, Dumbledore indicated that McGonagall should wait outside. She nodded briskly and left the room, leaving Dumbledore and the twins completely alone.

I was expecting Dumbledore to shout at us, to make us feel afraid of him and of the thing that we had done. What he did was much worse. He just sat there behind that desk of his with his hands folded, and just looked at us over his glasses. Just staring, as hard as he possibly could. He didn't say a word, but those piercing blue eyes of his said it all. Neither of us could hold his gaze for very long before we were both staring at the carpet with the attention worthy of a joke manual. Finally, Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I would like you to explain to me what you did, and why you did it." That was it, that was all he said, but the tone was quiet and insistent.

Fred swallowed hard and then answered softly, "It was stupid, professor. We had just overheard Hagrid saying that unicorns lived in the Forbidden Forest, and…well, we wanted to get a look at them. We followed hoof prints, thinking that they belonged to the unicorns, when we fell into a glade and came upon a whole bunch of centaurs."

"We didn't mean to cause any trouble," replied George hastily.

"I see," Dumbledore said slowly. "And what, may I ask, were you doing looking for unicorns? What possible purpose could they serve you?"

Fred shuffled his feet. "We'd heard that their tail hairs were really strong," he mumbled, "and we needed some for a….project of ours."

"By project I think you mean joke, am I right?" Neither twin said anything. "Very well, then. What you did was inexcusable. I would have thought that you'd have learned last time what disturbing other's people's peace earned you, but apparently the lesson was not as enforced as it could have been. You will both lose for Gryffindor fifty points each, and I will be writing to your parents this evening. I suggest that you not allow this sort of incident to occur-do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," added Fred quickly.

"Right, professor," chimed in George.

"You boys will both now return to your common rooms, and I don't expect to hear anymore about your mischief. You are dismissed." The twins both jumped up from their seats and hurried to the door when Dumbledore's voice came again. "Oh, and boys?"

Fred and George turned, and saw Dumbledore standing beside his desk, one hand resting on its top. "I have some advice for you. Just so I won't have to hear anything about any further mischief on your parts, I will say this: Next time, don't get caught." His blue eyes twinkled, and Fred and George's eyes twinkled back as they left the headmaster's office.

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However fast the twins were forgiven by Dumbledore, the rest of Gryffindor house found the loss of one hundred points a little harder to bear. However, the twins were so cheerful and so popular that soon they were forgiven and were returned to their pranksters-in-residence pedestals after _someone_ put Voice Cracking Serum in the Slytherin table's pumpkin juice.

Karrie, however, was a completely different matter. She refused to speak to the twins-in any case, to speak to them in a decipherable language. Every time they came into view she would mutter angrily under her breath in Danish, which Fred and George were both heartily glad they didn't understand. Eventually even this storm cloud blew away, after Wren came into the common room and saw the thoroughly windblown looking twins looking bewilderedly at a smug Karrie as they slunk up to their dorm room, obviously glad of their escape. "Good evening, Wren!" Karrie said cheerfully, as if she had never been angry to begin with. Wren was never quite brave enough to find out what Karrie had done, but she did notice that the twins seemed to have a considerable aversion to yellow birds after that incident.

In any case, life continued on in its normal way. Sometimes the monotony of classes was broken up by flying lessons with Madame Hooch, but for the most part everyone behaved themselves.

Wren continued to visit the lake as much as she could. One day Katherine consented to walk down to the lake with her and work on a Potions essay while Wren went for a swim. After casting the Bubble Head Charm on herself, Wren said in a muffled voice, "I'll be back in an hour. If I aine back by then, send in the divers, for I'll be a goner," she said cheerfully.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Don't even joke about that, Wren. By the way, what kind of powder cancels out the bad effects of sage? I can't remember and you've already done this bloody essay…"

"Moonstone. Now it's off I am, and good luck with the essay!" With a hasty wave, Wren dove into the icy water, cleaving its surface smoothly. Her arms and legs were together in a powerful breast stroke while she looked around herself at the green world of the lake. The giant squid suddenly appeared in front of Wren, and playfully tapped her on the shoulder with one of its tentacles. He had long ago been given the name "Doolish" by Wren, which was Gaelic for "black water." He was black, he was in the water. It worked. In any case, she teasingly slapped his tentacle away from her shoulder. Then she grabbed onto the next tentacle that was held out for her, and latched onto Doolish, who cheerfully gave her a ride.

Doolish took her deeper and farther into the depths of the lake than Wren had ever been forever. "Where you be takin' me, you foolish Doolish?" asked Wren exasperatedly, even though she normally didn't like to talk. It used up too much air. Doolish ignored her and continued on his course. Suddenly, Wren saw about herself crude little houses. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" whispered Wren. "What be houses doin' down here?"

Finally stopping his movement, Doolish slowed down and sank to a relaxed position on the lake's floor. A bit of movement caught Wren's eye, and she turned sharply, but she didn't catch what it was that had moved. Her heart starting to beat madly, she called out softly, "Hello? Anyone be here?" Who could live in these houses? Were they old homes that had been swallowed up by the lake years ago? If that was it, why did they look so sturdy and taken care of?

Appearing out of nowhere, a face suddenly shoved itself directly into Wren's own. She screamed and flipped over in the water, caught by surprise. When she was right side up, she tried to hide the fear in her face as she examined the creature that was now before her, shaking a makeshift spear in her face.

Wren immediately knew that this thing was a merperson, even though she hadn't even known that they had existed. It was almost the same shade of green as the water, which explained why she hadn't seen it before. Instead of legs it had one long flipper, and its wild hair fanned out in the water. Its face was almost fishlike, and was excessively angry. It hissed at Wren, before finally saying scratchily, "Who you, land-dweller! Talk, or I pop that bubble and you die!"

Hastily, Wren held up her hands in a gesture of surrender and supplication. "Hold on, now, please. It's sorry I be to have caused ye trouble, and I promise that no malice was meant. My name's Wren, Wren's Gallagher. I often go swimming in this lake, 'cause I enjoy it. I dinna even know that merpeople existed, let alone lived in the lake. Please, I truly meant no harm."

Still looking suspicious, the merperson backed off slowly, still holding the spear. "Didn't know of us, huh? I'm not surprised. Almost all wizard folk and land-dwellers are stupid. Think we don't matter. Think we're stupid just because we don't breathe air. Fah!" the merperson spit out. "Who needs air? Only weaklings."

"Quiet, Myrna! The youngling meant no harm. She was only curious." Wren turned around quickly at this new voice, a deeper, more refined one than Myrna's had been. The creature that now approached so solemnly was obviously a merman. His hair was tied back with the leaf of a frond, and around his neck hung a necklace with a grey rock as a pendant. At a flick of his tale, Myrna nodded and flapped her fish tail, disappearing quickly. He nodded solemnly at Wren and said, "You must forgive Myrna. She is young, and sadly she is representative of my people. They are uneducated, confused and incapable of thinking beyond the next meal. My people have fallen from their once proud place in life. Only I remember it now."

"Please, sir," replied Wren softly, "I truly dinna know that you lot were down here. Please don't take offense."

"I heard you say so, youngling. It is all right; I have no problems with a young witch that just wishes to _know_. Not to mention the fact that any warm-blooded creature that braves the cold depths of our home earns my respect. I am Gouramis, the last Seer of the merpeople. After me shall come no other, for that knowledge is all but gone from us. Ask me your questions and I shall answer eagerly, for there are none among my people's youth who now care for such things."

Wren looked around herself, and saw that Gouramis was right. Everything was crude and stupid looking. "How did you fall, Seer? I mean, why can only you remember the glory days now?"

Gouramis nodded sadly. "That is a long story, one that I will give you eagerly later, if you come again. For now, it looks as if you bubble is swiftly being depleted of that stuff that you land-dwellers need to breathe. You should return to the surface, and come again another day." His green eyes looked sad at this, and Wren felt pity for him.

"I'll be back, Seer. I promise!" With that, Wren began to kick powerfully for the surface, knowing that Gouramis was right. She had just enough oxygen to get back up, but none to spare. Doolish suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and one of his tentacles gave Wren a helpful shove upward. The last Wren saw of Gouramis was him carefully scratching just behind Doolish's beaky mouth, while his tentacles jiggled in ecstasy.

When Wren crashed to the surface, she saw that she wasn't terribly far from shore. "There you are!" Katherine called. "I was just about to call Dumbledore so that he could recover your sodden body. Everything go all right?"

"Fine," gasped out Wren, as the cold suddenly hit her as she swum the last few strokes she needed to get to shore. After she had climbed out beside Katharine and had drunk some Pepper-Up Potion and slung on her dry robes, Wren yanked Katherine to her feet. "Come on, you. It's the library I'm needin' now, and that's no mistake!"


	11. Who's the Who in You Know Who?

Disclaimer: If I did own it, I would be a lot richer and would have given myself a wand and a Firebolt by now. Trust me. Everything but Wren, Karrie and Co. are JKR's, more's the pity.

Note: Here's an update, fairly quick after the last, you lucky people! You must have all downed quite a bit of good old Felix Felicis yesterday….

In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Wren needed to have this background…Let me know if there's anything you guys would like to see happen in subsequent updates! Can't guarantee that it will, but I'm always open for suggestions! Pranks from Fred and George, plots twists….I'm interested in all opinions. Enjoy, and hit the review! You've all been marvelous about that lately, do please keep it up!

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Over the next few days, Wren spent every free moment she had in the library, reading about the merpeople and their history. Sadly, there was a pitiful amount of information, even though she did enlist the aid of the crotchety Madame Pince. The old librarian was normally obscenely protective about Hogwarts' collection of rare books, but she did seem to enjoy the challenge of helping Wren with her so-called "special research project" on merpeople and other aquatic creatures.

Slowly and surely, Wren learned that the merpeople were once a great nation of beings, living peacefully under the depths of the ocean. There, they had vast palaces and lived under the reigns of several kings, one for each main body of water, such as the king of the Pacific, the king of the Atlantic, and so forth. They had technology, etiquette, and their chief goals were to be the caretakers of all the creatures in the ocean, providing medical care to wounded whales and the like. Somehow, though, their knowledge began to dwindle and their people started to die out. By the time that Wren was reading the ancient manuals, the merpeople were all but lost from the world, with only a few colonies surviving in the darkest depths of the ocean or in hidden lakes that went undisturbed by land-dwellers.

Finally, Wren set aside the last book that offered up any information on these people of the sea, and was writing down her final notes on her specially selected ream of parchment when she felt someone or something standing beside her, peering over her shoulder. She turned quickly and saw Fred and George staggering over to the library's long table where she had roosted, each loaded down with huge stacks of books. "St. Patrick above!" gasped Wren. "What in the world aire you two gettin' up to now? Please, by all that ye proclaim to be sacred, promise me that you aine gettin' up no more mischief, are ye? Gryffindor canna stand to lose any more points, and that's the pure truth of it! They'd probably murder you!"

"Wren, you still don't trust us, do you, my fine bonny lassie?" replied George, shaking his head in a crestfallen manner. "We are merely doing some research on a highly sensitive matter."

Suspiciously, Wren replied, "Highly sensitive? What aire ye wafflin' on abou' now, George?"

"Suffice it to say that we have found a valuable tool that we are trying to learn how to operate. Consider yourself lucky to get that much out of us. Karrie and Charlie have both threatened us with letters to Mum-"

"-among other things," muttered Fred.

"-unless we told them what we were up to. We have resisted all such frightening threats with great stubbornness and fortitude. Hence why we are doing our research in here, where they would never expect us to be. We're not above hiding if the situation calls for it. As for telling you specifically what we're doing, I will answer with a question. Have we asked you what you are doing, all shut up in here alone for the past few days? No, we have not."

"Certainly not!" added Fred indignantly. "We respect your independence…but only to a certain point. Then our curiosity gets the better of us. I, for one, can resist no longer. What are you working on so busily, Miss Gallagher?"

"Well, I have no secrets, at least none that I wish to hide from you two," replied Wren with a sigh. If she didn't tell them now, they'd hound her until she did, which would be a bother. "I'm learnin' abou' merpeople, if ye must inquire. Did ye know that there aire some at the bottom of the lake, our very own lake?"

To Wren's surprise, neither Fred nor George looked all that impressed. "Oh, are there? Fancy that. I didn't know that there were any more left around in these parts." Fred's voice was dull and bored.

"If that's all, I wish you luck. Just as some advice in case you're bothering Hogwarts' very own merpeople, which I've no doubt you are," George said with a twinkle in his eyes, "you should know that I've heard merpeople can get quite nasty. All I can say is, be careful with what you're sticking that Irish nose into, Wren. Wouldn't want it to get speared or anything, Snape would be distressed to lose his Perfect Potions Pupil." George finished with just the barest hint of concern on his face while his voice remained completely casual.

"Thanks for the help, lads, but I can promise you that I'll be fine," said Wren with exasperation. She gathered up her notes and left the library, muttering quickly in Gaelic under her breath. She appreciated their concern, but for Merlin's sakes! She could take care of herself!

Fred and George looked at each other. "These females that know different languages are quite difficult to understand, aren't they, George?"

"I'd rather that they did know other languages, Fred, rather than us being able to translate what's being said." Fred nodded thoughtfully in agreement with his twin, and then the brothers got to work, pouring over books with titles like "Maps: Where Do They Go?" and "Magical Parchments and Their Secrets."

Meanwhile, Wren had gone up to her dormitory and had gathered up her swimming gear of Pepper-Up Potion, warm robes, her wand, and her heavy outdoor scarf and cloak to wear down to the water's edge. When she reached the common room, she looked around to see who she could snag to walk down to the lake with her. Now that she had some background information on the merpeople, she couldn't wait to speak to Gouramis. He could surely add much to what she had already learned.

Karrie was sitting in a chair close by the fire, working busily on a pen and ink sketch that Wren walked over to see; Karrie was always willing to show Wren her projects and to ask for advice. To Wren's surprise, however, this time Karrie hastily covered up the drawing with a hand and shot a warning glance up at her young friend. "Aine you gonna let me see what you're workin' on?" asked Wren with a reproachful tone of voice as she flipped a recalcitrant curl out of her face.

"Doesn't look that way, so don't bother sulking. I'm not worried; you'll get over your disappointment soon enough. That's the trouble with you Irish lasses, you're so jolly that you can never stay angry for long," replied Karrie briskly but with a twinkle in her bright blue eyes. "I suppose by the sheer amount of equipment in your arms that you want to go visit that benighted lake of yours again?"

"Aye. Would you be willin' to walk down there wit me?" asked Wren hopefully, giving up on being able to see what Karrie was working on with such diligence. She knew that eventually she'd know what it was; it was virtually impossible for Karrie to keep a secret for long.

"Only sheer devotion to your safety compels me to say yes. If I say no you'll just sneak down there anyway and likely end up as a permanent resident of the lake floor, along with that pestilential squid that you like so well. For reasons only known to yourself, I might add."

"_Doolish_. The squid's name is Doolish, and has been for a long time," replied Wren emphatically. "And he aine pestilential, whate'er that be; he's a right doll. Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner we get back, aye?"

"Fine, fine….." Karrie said heavily, picking up her sketch and carrying it above Wren's head. "I'll just go put this away and get my winter clothes together. Be back in a moment."

"Thank ye, _deartháir_ Karrie." Karrie stopped on the steps and looked expectantly at Wren for a translation. The first year merely laughed and said, "_Deartháir_ roughly translates as dear. It be Gaelic, Karrie, me native tongue. Now off ye go!"

Karrie sighed. "If only we spoke each other's second language…we could drive everyone around here crazy. Imagine Fred and George, or better yet, Percy, trying to translate us talking about them in Gaelic or Danish!" With this blissful thought in mind, Karrie turned and sped up the stairs to collect her things.

As it turned out, all of this preparation proved to be entirely unnecessary. Karrie and Wren were heavily muffled, but the moment they stepped out onto the steps leading out onto the grounds, Karrie grabbed Wren by the arm and muscled her back inside the castle entrance. The reasons for her actions were obvious: a snow storm had hit Hogwarts and the world outside was swirling white and bitterly cold. "Ah, Karrie, it only be a wee bit of snow…just a dustin', ye might say…" said Wren weakly.

Karrie merely rolled her eyes and continued firmly guiding Wren back up to Gryffindor Tower. "Are you _sindssyg_? Two can throw around foreign terms, my deartháir. You'd be absolutely mental to go out in weather like that, let alone dive into a lake that's masquerading as a glacier! If you don't trust me, trust the thermometer that's somehow magically fallen to ten degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. Without any connection to the weather outside, of course, which is what I'm sure you're thinking as a means to maneuver around my thoughtless and entirely unnecessary practicality. Believe me; you don't want to go back out there. Not to mention the tiny and completely obsolete fact that I won't let you…"

Wren sighed. "Aye, there's the rub. Too bad ye like me; otherwise no one could stop me, whether there be snow or not."

Karrie gave her friend a queer look. "That's generally what friends do, _tossehoved_, silly. Now come on, back to the fire we go and no more arguments!"

Cozily established back in the common room, however, Wren was only able to sit still in her chair for a few minutes. Karrie had collected an essay that was due in Transfiguration, which she was working on with great delight. If anybody could be considered McGonagall's pet, it would be Karrie; she had a gift for Transfiguration that was uncanny. However, her young friend wasn't content to work on homework on an evening that she had planned to spend in the fascinating company of Gouramis. She prowled from one end of the common room to the other, looking longingly out of windows and making such a general nuisance of herself that two third year girls gathered up their things and left in undisguised disgust.

Finally, Karrie said patiently, "Wren, I realize that this isn't your idea of a productive evening, but why don't you get some schoolwork or something and work on it? It might make the hours pass by more quickly."

"I canna," replied Wren sullenly. "I finished it all so that I might have this time wit Gouramis. I've nothin' left to do at all." She picked up a slip of inky parchment that someone had left behind and tossed it into the fire in a fit of doldrums.

Karrie sighed again, but then perked up when she saw a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that someone had left behind. "Here, Wren! Read this; it'll be interesting and keep you intrigued, I'm sure. There might even be a piece on merpeople; you never know!" She waved the newspaper temptingly at Wren, much like a mother waving a toy in front of her child, hoping desperately to interest the baby so that she might get some peace and quiet.

Wren was perfectly aware of the fact that she was being maneuvered, but she was too bored to care. "Aye, that may be true in fact." Grabbing the paper with its moving pictures from Karrie, Wren curled up in a chair and immersed herself in its inky pages. Karrie rolled her eyes heavenward in a gesture of deep thankfulness, and then continued to write on the dangers of transfiguring the spine when changing a pig into a pigeon.

All was silent for a while, but then a headline caught Wren's eye and she looked at the paper with redoubled interest. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: Gone for Good or Just Good as Gone?" Wrinkling her nose, Wren suddenly remembered that last queer discussion at her house on the night before she left for Hogwarts; her father slipping up and mentioning a "You-Know-Who" and then not explaining just who the mysterious person was to Wren.

She read the article closely several times through, but couldn't seem to make any sense of it. By this time only a few people remained in the common room; it being such a cold night, almost everyone had retreated to the warmth of their four poster beds and a good book. However, when Wren looked up and asked Karrie curiously, "Who be You-Know-Who?" the reaction was immediate.

A young second year working quietly on a letter across from Wren squeaked and fell off her chair, gazing at the Irish girl in horror. Charlie Weasley looked up from the Charms essay he was leaning over and creased his brow in a gesture of concern and consternation. Two fourth year boys cast Wren looks as if she had suddenly become a hippogriff and left the common room completely, muttering fearfully to each other. Then silence reigned over the room as Karrie finally said slowly, "You don't know who that is, Wren? You truly know nothing of….of _him_?"

Still looking around the room in a manner of complete bewilderment, Wren replied, "Now how could I be a-knowin' about some crackpot of the wizardin' world? Remember, me da dinna hardly tell me anythin' before I came here. He mentioned someone named You-Know-Who but then clammed up. Me mam looked horrid fearful, though. Who be it, Karrie?"

At this, the second year girl escaped the room, running up the stairs toward the dormitories as if a werewolf were on her tail, snarling and nipping at her feet. Charlie Weasley stood up, and came to take the girl's place in the chair across from Wren. Looking at her seriously, he said, "Normally we don't speak of him, Wrenny, but its best you know, just in case." He sighed, before beginning in his slow, deep voice, "Not terribly long ago, in my memory, in fact, there was a man; he was a wizard. I don't know if he was born bad or what, but he became horrible, Wren, murdering people right and left and terrorizing everybody. He wanted to rule over the wizarding and Muggle worlds, and he wanted to purify' the wizarding race. Normally, the Ministry of Magic could handle most ruffians and toss them into Azkaban, but this wizard was different. He was too good; he knew things that no one else did, and could perform magic better than everybody….everybody, that is, except Dumbledore. He was afraid of Dumbledore, but somehow Dumbledore could never catch him. He was out to kill everyone, Wren, and nobody could stand up against him. Those who tried, they all were killed, brutally."

"But then," said Karrie, taking up the story, "one night he went to a little village to kill a man and woman who had stood against him for a long time. They were husband and wife, a lovely couple by the names of James and Lily Potter. They had a young son called Harry, who was just a year old at the time." Karrie's voice warmed when she spoke of Harry, but then her eyes filled with tears.

Charlie patted Karrie comfortingly on the shoulder and then continued. "Well, this wizard got into their house. He killed both James and Lily, and then turned his wand on the baby, Merlin knows why. But then, something happened, I don't know what. Somehow, You-Know-Who lost all his powers, and was defeated while Harry was perfectly fine. The little boy had lost both his parents, and he had a lightning shaped scar on his forehead, but he was alive while Voldemort was dead….at least, so we think. Harry must have a lot of power for such a little one. I saw a notice in the _Daily Prophet_ recently; he's eight years old now, living with his Muggle aunt and uncle. Wish I could be here when he comes to Hogwarts; that would be a kid worth watching, all right!"

Slowly Wren processed all of this information. "So…when this paper here says that they don' know whether this You-Know-Who bloke is alive or dead…they're talkin' about the prat that tried to kill little Harry Potter?"

"That's right," nodded Charlie. "Theoretically, no one knows where You-Know-Who is now, although I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to have an inkling or two. It's a great mystery. But do you understand now why everyone was so afraid when you mentioned him? He was horrible."

"A lot of my family was killed by You-Know-Who…" replied Karrie softly. "Uncle Fabian and Uncle Gideon…Aunt Molly's and Mor's brothers, twins like Fred and George. Kind of named for Fabian and Gideon, Fred and George are. There were more family members than I care to think about at the moment; it's principally Uncle Fabian and Uncle Gideon that Mor…my mother…. misses most. "

"This You-Know-Who…" said Wren slowly, "what be his real name? It canna truly be You-Know-Who, that'd be bloody insane! I canna jolly well call him 'You-Know-Who' in me brain, it takes too long."

Charlie looked around before he replied. Seeing that they were the only ones left in the common room, he said, "I'll only say it once, so don't ask again. And for Merlin's sake, don't ever say it aloud unless you want to see a real reaction, not like what you saw in here this evening. His real name is…is…." Charlie choked for a minute, like it wasn't possible for him to say the name. If nothing else had done it, this simple action on Charlie's part truly convinced Wren how bad this You-Know-Who character had been, to make tough and practical Charlie so nervous. "His name is Voldemort." Charlie spit it out quickly, and then shuddered. A momentary darkness seemed to fall over the room at the mention of this dreadful enemy's name, and Wren found herself getting a quick chill, as if she had been touched by a frigid winter wind.

But then the moment passed, and Charlie stood up, stretching, as if he was working out the tension of his explanation to Wren. "I can finish this essay for Flitwick tomorrow before breakfast. It's getting on, I should head to bed. Good night, you two!" He waved cheerfully at Wren and Karrie.

"Have a bonny night, Charlie, and thank ye, lad!" said Wren happily, but with a worry still resting heavily on her brow.

Giving Wren a concerned look, Karrie hauled her to her feet. "Come on, silly. We should both get to bed, don't you think? Otherwise the house-elves might sweep us both away with the rest of the trash in here!" With an appreciative giggle from Wren, both girls headed up the stairs and went into her own dormitory, wishing each other good night.

As Wren lay awake in her bed that night, waiting for sleep to claim her, she went over the story that her friends had told her while she listened to Katherine's soft snores. How horrible it must have been for everyone, to have to live in such fear over one person! What manner of man was this Voldemort, to make such people that she knew to be strong and sure to fall quivering to their knees? The same fear had been in all of their eyes: her father, her mother, Charlie, Karrie, and all of the students that had been in the common room that night. They all feared this Voldemort character above all else.

Last of all, Wren found herself thinking about the Potters. She thought about James, a young man that had died far too young. How sad, that he would never be a father to his young son! She thought of Lily, who seemed a girl much like herself, probably with much spirit and just as many hopes for the future. How sad, that those hopes would never be!

And just as sleep claimed her, Wren thought about Harry. He was growing up without parents. To be raised as an orphan must be the epitome of all agonies; she fervently hoped that his aunt and uncle were kind to him.

_I'll be in third year when he comes to Hogwarts…_was Wren's last sleepy thought as her eyes slid shut. _Maybe I'll be able to help him…I hope so…_

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A/N: Please push the nice button….I promise it won't bite. It's not like the "Monster Book of Monsters!" Although, maybe it'll purr……tell me what you think! Toodles!


	12. A Storm, And A Joke, For the Books

Disclaimer: May I be resting in Aragog's belly if I even pretend to own any of this. Everybody but Wren, Karrie, Hotaru, Celia, and Fred and George's pranks are JKR's.

Note: I hope that you enjoy this update! It was fun to write. Please leave me reviews about what you think! I'm sorry that it's taken me a while to put this up, but I had another fanfic in my head that just wouldn't leave me alone. So, of course, I ended up posting two. Life's funny that way. In any case, I hope you all enjoy this weekend treat! Review, review, review!

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To Wren's complete and total impatience, the snowstorm ended up being one of the worst that Scotland, must less the British Isles, had ever seen. Only Wren was impatient with this storm, however; as everybody else was too busy trying to keep the drafty old castle safe and warm to be much concerned with a population of sea people in the lake that most of them didn't even know existed. In order to combat the extreme cold, teachers were forced to magically heat their classrooms so that the students could attempt to study while they huddled in their cloaks and scarves at their desks. Even this extraordinary measure didn't last very long until enough students came to Madame Pomfrey with frostbitten noses and fingers that for the first time in years, classes were canceled until the severe weather broke. The students lifted up heartfelt cheers at this news, the cold turning their breath into frosty clouds. Even Professors McGonagall and Snape looked a little relieved at these tidings as they hastily drank the Pepper-Up Potion that was now being served at every meal. It made everyone walk around looking as if they had fires set in their hair, but at least they were warmed briefly by the drink.

The wizarding wireless radios, which still worked beautifully despite all of the weather interference, warned its listeners to stay inside and keep warm at all costs. Hopefully, said the weather wizard without much hope in his voice, the storm would be over within the week.

By the end of the prophesied week, however, the nasty weather still continued on with no end in sight, and inside the castle the natives were getting restless. They were cold, they were tired, and not even the fast approaching Christmas could offer much cheer. What kind of Christmas was it when it was too cold for even snowball fights and horse drawn carriage rides? Even the indomitable Fred and George were too cold and cranky to cause much trouble; their pranks were unenthusiastic and short-lived, although they remained true to their words and were never caught. Classes had resumed for the sheer need to save everyone from their boredom, but the students only attended them halfheartedly. Strangely enough, the teachers didn't seem to be any more interested in them than the students.

Finally getting sick of the gloom and doom invading his castle, Dumbledore stepped in and made an executive decision. At dinner one night, he stood up and got everyone's attention from his place at the high table. "Now, I fully realize that it's difficult to listen to an old man's wafflings when your nose is slowly turning blue, but I ask you to at least attempt to hear me out," he said good-naturedly. "After speaking with the entire faculty here at the school, and with the weather witches and wizards at the Ministry of Magic, I must regretfully inform you all that this snowstorm is expected to last at least another week before dissipating." Groans and wailing and gnashing of teeth came from every corner of the Great Hall; Dumbledore merely held up a hand which pushed the students into a reluctant silence once more. "I am empathetic towards your grief, but I must ask you to listen to me, please. Due to these regrettable and unforeseeable circumstances- at least unforeseeable by most of us, anyway" Dumbledore cast a sly look at Professor Trelawney, who looked entirely too frostbitten to care about the sarcastic comment while the students all snickered into their mittens, "we will be ending the school year early, and everyone will be dismissed at the end of this week. Students will be sent home via Floo, and all those that had planned to stay at the school during the Christmas vacation will be sent home with fellow students. If you had planned to stay and now cannot, please see if it would be all right to go home with some of your friends. If you have any difficulty at all in finding a place to go for the vacation, please see your Head of House and they will attend to you, have no fear. I, for one, am sorry that this Christmas Hogwarts will know no Yuletide cheer, but that cannot be avoided in this case.

"Classes will be concluded the day after tomorrow," Dumbledore continued, "which will give all of the students time to pack before leaving the next day, four days hence. Extreme efforts will be made to keep the school livable until then. Again, I say that if any of you have any questions as to these new arrangements, please contact your Head of House. Thank you, and keep those mufflers and ear muffs handy!" Dumbledore's eyes twinkling brighter than the ice on the windows, he left the Great Hall to the mutterings and frosty cheers of all the students.

"No more classes! Hurrah!" cheered Hotaru, her teeth chattering. "I wonder if it will be warmer in London?"

Katherine shuddered. "I'm not going very far-Hogsmeade is just down the road. I get to stay in this…this….icy wasteland!"

"Cheers," replied Leah glumly. "I can tell you all about London, Hotaru, that's where my family is. I heard from Mummy and Daddy in the last owl post that got through. They're getting just as hammered by this storm. The problem is that they're Muggles. So that means no electricity, light, or water for them. Going home is going to be jolly good fun for me." She rolled her eyes mournfully.

Wren's feelings on the subject were divided. On the one hand, she absolutely couldn't wait to get home and see her mam and da again, as well as Devlin. She'd missed them all so dreadfully. On the other hand, she was finally comfortable at Hogwarts, no longer bothered by homesickness. Actually, it was strange. She knew that she would miss her friends and the strange old castle, even if staying there was exactly like living inside of a refrigerator at the moment. Wouldn't it be odd, to be back home at Gull Cottage and be homesick for Hogwarts? Life never lacked its little ironies.

"In the las' letter that Mac Cuill got through," Wren added to the conversation as she pulled herself out of her reverie, "me mam said that the weather aine as bad there in Eire. They also said that if anyone needed a warm place to come, that they should just hop along with me. Anyone up for it?"

Leah's eyes lit up for a moment. "Oh, Wren, I'd love to come! But then…" Leah sobered and her old timidity came into her eyes, "I don't think my mummy and daddy would let me. Every letter I get says how much they've missed me and what not. I couldn't let them down."

Wren patted Leah on the hand. "Sure, and why don' you ask them? The worst they can say would be no, and that's the pure truth of it." Leah nodded, while Angelina was busy making arrangements for Alicia to come home with her for the Christmas break. Alicia's family was going to America to visit her mother's sister, and they had already left in a big hurry to avoid being delayed by the snowstorm.

Karrie leaned around the shivering, complaining Celia and tapped Wren on the arm. "If you get bored over there in Ireland, Wren, you should come and visit Fred, George, Charlie and myself. All of the available Prewetts and reasonable facsimiles thereof are having Christmas dinner at the Burrow, Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur's home. We'd love to see you at some point, if you can manage it."

Charlie, who was sitting across from Karrie with his roommate, Brendan, nodded solemnly. "She's right, Wren. We're making room for more people in the Burrow than we truly know what to do with, so one slip of a girl won't make a huge difference to Mum. She remembers you from the bookstore, anyway, and is always asking how you are doing here. She'd love to see you."

Grinning widely at her friends, Wren replied, "It be the Christian truth that I'd truly be likin' nothin' better than to spend Yuletide with your family. You lot are absolutely wonderful." She frowned thoughtfully. "But first, I think I'd better be seein' my mam, da, and brother. It's been a powerful long time since I've been gone."

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According to Dumbledore's instructions, Hogwarts was emptied a few days later; the offices of Professors Sprout, Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick were filled with the students of their houses as they stepped into fireplaces and were whisked home. Leah gave Wren a rather sodden hug good-bye as she stepped into the fireplace; her parents had denied her permission to go home with her friend, asking that she come home and spend Christmas with them. Wren couldn't blame them, but she did feel sorry for Leah's distress.

The Weasleys were just in front of Karrie and Wren. "Don't forget, Wren. Come along to the Burrow if you can," said Charlie heartily in a voice that still manage to be gentle. Wren gave him a thankful look in return and said that she wouldn't forget.

Meanwhile, Fred and George were acting far too quiet and antsy, which Wren by now recognized as two of the signs of forthcoming disaster. They appeared to be entirely too eager to get into the fireplace and be whisked away from school. As Charlie was disappearing into green flames, Fred turned to Wren and said quickly, "Right, well, have a happy Christmas, Wren!" He practically threw himself into the fireplace and shouted, "The Burrow!"

Watching his brother leave anxiously, George said, "Same here. Try and behave yourself, won't you?" Fred had barely disappeared before George had one foot inside of the fireplace, moving with the grace of a cat. He was almost past the grate when a roar, either of outrage or laughter, went echoing through the castle. It sounded suspiciously like Professor Dumbledore's hearty laugh. Just then, enormous banners suddenly popped onto the walls and palm branches erupted through the doorway. McGonagall was just beginning to squawk in indignation and reach for George to yank him bodily out of the fireplace when a huge pineapple crashed onto her desk with a bang. With this thoughtful distraction, George seized his chance to escape. "Enjoy the heat, because I'm not staying to take it! Happy Christmas!" With that cheerful cry, George leapt into the fireplace and was gone before the professor could recover herself.

Apparently, every room of the castle now had some evidence of a beach holiday in it-surfboards lined the hallways (which seemed to be causing the suits of armor no end of entertainment), palm branches waved gracefully as though in a gentle breeze, and the banners on the wall had cheerful titles, such as "Some Sun Every Day Keeps Madame Pomfrey Away" and "Down with Pepper-up! Go get Surf's Up!" A Gryffindor student came screaming into McGonagall's office, blathering on about the Great Hall suddenly being filled with toucans and the floor becoming sandy enough to make castles. Fred and George's long pranking silence hadn't been a sabbatical after all-they had just been planning for this occasion. It was a joke of such magnitude that Professor McGonagall just sank wearily into her chair, muttering something about bleeding students that didn't know how much trouble they were. Dumbledore looked inside the doorway for a moment, appearing to be highly amused as a parrot squawked on his shoulder. When he saw the dangerous look in McGonagall's eyes, however, he quickly left the office.

Karrie decided that now would be a good time to leave, before Professor McGonagall remembered her blood ties to the Weasleys. She turned and gave Wren a swift hug. "I'd hate to be guilty by association, so I think I'm going to beat it. Good-bye, Wren! See you soon!" Wren smirked wryly when she realized that Karrie's voice was choked with laughter, and the prefect was smiling brighter than she had in days. Giving Wren one last smile before leaping into the fireplace, Karrie turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "Well….erm…I'll be going now. Have a happy Christmas, Professor!" Then she got the heck out of dodge, slipping away to the Burrow just behind her cousins.

A few minutes later, a fireplace in Ainmire, Ireland spit forth one messy-haired girl, who was laughing so hard that her shoulders shook and she couldn't take a proper breath. Then Wren felt her father's hands pulling her up from the floor where she had fallen and whirling her around the kitchen that smelled of potatoes and bread pudding. Wren knew that even though she would miss Hogwarts over the vacation greatly, at this moment there was nowhere on earth she'd rather be.

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The next few days were sheer bliss for the Gallagher family, so happy were they to be together again. Devlin kept popping into Wren's room to tell her about his day, and to ask her to play football with him. This usually had to be done in the living room due to the weather, much to Taryn's very public dismay. It was still very frosty in Ireland, but nowhere near the frigid nightmare that Hogwarts had been. The bitter cold meant that everyone pretty much stayed inside the house, including a very jittery Wren. Expeditions to see the ocean were quite out of the question-the angry waves lashing the beach were no laughing matter, and the wind flung icicles into the faces of anyone who braved the cold in an effort to get to the ocean. So Wren had to content herself with waiting for a break in the weather before she could jump into her beloved sea again.

Not everything was the same as it was before at Gull Cottage, though. Greater forays into the wizarding world had been made while Wren was gone at school, owing to the fact that half the family was magic now. Eamon had presented Taryn with an early Christmas present, a stove that was bewitched to make meals in half the time that her old stove had taken. It also warmed the house with abandon, and everyone slept warm and cozily in their beds. Devlin was especially fascinated with the wizarding wireless radio, which pumped music into the room as clearly as if they were standing in the recording studio, listening to the musicians live.

It was strange to Wren to sleep alone in her bedroom again, and to be able to rise when she wished and do what she wished without the strict schedule of school. For the first few days of her extended vacation, she vastly enjoyed sleeping later than she ever had before, even though she had always been an early riser. This pastime soon was worn out however, and Wren was reduced to cleaning the cottage in her boredom. After the entire house had been scrubbed up one side and down the other at least three times, Taryn took matters into her own hands.

"Wrenny," she said with great exasperation, as Wren got on her hands and knees to clean out the oven for at least the fifth time that day, "It's sure I am that nothin' could have dirtied that magical stove in the last five minutes. Aine there somethin' you could be doin' with this time? Homework or wavin' that wand around for school?"

"Cor, Mam, we aine allowed to use our wands outside of school. And the only work my teachers assigned were essays for Snape, Flitwick and McGonagall…and it's true enough that I've already done them. I won' say I'm bored, Mam, 'cause you never let me when I was a kid….but I'm horrid fed up wit this weather. If only it would stop bein' so bloody cold! Then I could be gettin' out of your hair."

"You're not in my hair, true 'nough. I've been missin' you so badly when ye were gone that I would put up with you climbing up the walls now…say, why don' I teach you how to make that bread pudding you love so much? That'd keep you busy, for sure."

"Oh, Mam!" cried out Wren, delighted. "Ye'd do that for me?"

"I have to," laughed Mrs. Gallagher, "else you'd wear my oven away to wee pieces of iron! Besides, we can always have some for dinner. Come along, I'll get you started."


	13. Of Girlfriends and Green Flames

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JKR's. If I did, I wouldn't have just been counting the pennies that I save in a cup on my dresser. There, that's good proof.

Note: I started writing this chapter and couldn't stop. Eventually I had to break it in half, so you'll probably be getting an update either tonight or tomorrow. Aren't you a lucky lot! So says the one that's begging for reviews, anyway….speaking of which, keep up the good work, all of you wonderful people…

The conversation between Wren and her father at the beginning is similar to ones I've had with other people, who seem to think that reading Harry Potter isn't Christian or something. If it bothers you, just skip it, but I tried not to force too many of my personal beliefs into it. Let me know what you think! By which I mean, review…

Happy reading!

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Christmas at Gull Cottage had always been a special affair. The Gallaghers were a deeply religious family, and they always attended the Christmas services at their local church with punctuality and enjoyment. That Christmas Eve, Wren came upon her father as he was smoking his pipe at the kitchen table. Her brow furrowed in thought, she asked hesitantly, "Da? We been readin' in History of Magic classes…well, abou' how the church don' be likin' us magic folk. I love the church, ye know that. But how can we go when the leaders would despise us if they knew that you and I, we were a witch and a wizard?"

Eamon looked at his daughter's troubled green eyes, and gestured for her to come over to him. Obeying her father's command, Wren came and stood before his chair. Her father leaned forward, picked Wren off of her feet and settled her comfortably in his lap, as he hadn't done since she was a little girl. It was comforting, and Wren felt safe despite her inner confusions. "Wrenny, me lass," Eamon said cautiously, his voice slightly muffled as he gripped his pipe between his teeth, "it's glad I am that you asked that. The way I see it is fair simple, and your mam and others agree with me. Magic be just like any other power in the world-folks can use it for good or for bad. We all have to take responsibility for our actions. Rich businessmen have power in their money-we have power in our magic. What matters is how you use it. As long as you use your power for justice and mercy, then, why, I don' see the conflict. You bear the weight of sins done with magic, just as much you would bear the weight of sins against the morals that we've been given to follow. Don't worry, little bird. The two don' have to be separated."

That was enough for Wren, and so the holiday continued with all of its usual joviality and cheer. The Christmas Eve Mass at the island's small, pretty church was cold, but soon Wren felt warmed inside by the attendees' fervor and their obvious love of the holiday and the season. She sang all of the traditional Christmas song heartily, and entered into the church's responses with enthusiasm. As she and Devlin hurried behind their parents on their homeward journey that evening, Wren's eyes still sparkled with the new memories that she had made. The Christmas Eve candlelight service had always seemed liked the holiest part of the year for her, and remembering all of the candles twinkling like bright stars in the dimness of the church never ceased to remind her of the great light that had been brought to shine in a darkened world.

That night, Devlin sneaked into Wren's room after they finally heard their parents stop rummaging around in the living room, where they had been surely arranging their Christmas stockings. "Oi, Wren! Wan' check out our presents? Mam and Da would never know. Come on, now, Father Christmas won' care!"

Chuckling, Wren shook her head. "No thanks, Devlin me lad. I've no desire to ruin me own Christmas mornin' surprise. You're welcome to be ruinin' your own, though, if that's how ye been wantin' to do it."

"Nah," Devlin replied, not at all surprised by Wren's response. He asked the same question every year. When Wren had been six, she had eagerly agreed and had opened her presents with Devlin with great delight. She had found, though, that Christmas morning lacked some of its appeal without the suspense hanging over her head. Ever since then, she had staunchly refused to yield to temptation. "I dinna think you would. Dinna wan' you to be feelin' left out and all, though, if I dinna ask ye." Devlin came and sat down on Wren's bed, the mattress groaning a little under his weight.

"Careful!" giggled Wren. "I'd be hatin' for my bed to give out under ye!"

"Oh, go along with you," scoffed Devlin. "I aine that big."

"Saints preserve us! Lyin' on Christ's birthday!" exclaimed his little sister with mock surprise. "Wha' with all of that football, you be as big as a house! At least it's muscle, and not pudge."

Ignoring his sister, Devlin's face sobered as he looked around the room. "Wrenny," he finally said solemnly, "have you learned in that wizardin' school how to be keepin' a secret and all?"

"Sure, and I'm as good at keepin' secrets as I ever was. Nah, strike that. Keepin' secrets from Leah and Karrie has been a blamed sight harder than it were with you or Mam. So yeah, I think I'm some better than I was. Why? Wha' you be holdin' so close to that chest of your'n?"

Devlin leaned close, his eyes suddenly looking as blue as Dumbledore's in the dim light. "Wren, ye canna be tellin' Mam and Da. I'm not sure how'd they'd be takin' it and all. Anyway…."

"Yes…..?" prodded Wren, wondering what was causing her normally steady brother to develop such timidity.

"I….well, I got a girlfriend, Wren. Her name be Maeve, and she's dead pretty. She be smart, too. Well, I just thought ye should know. Maybe help me talk her up to Mam and Da a bit. I'm not sure wha' they'll think abou' it all."

Laughing, Wren threw her arms around her brother's neck. "Devlin, you wee little fink! How could you be keepin' this from me? I'm so happy for you, dear brother!"

Suddenly looking much younger than his fifteen years, Devlin warmly returned his sister's embrace. "Little Sister, it's glad I be that you're happy abou' it all. Ye'll like Maeve, she be a lot like you. Got a tongue as sharp as a knife and a heart as kind as a saint's."

"Sounds to me like someone have got a right hearty case to be workin' with," Wren said softly, but with a wide grin. "I canna wait to meet her, and that's the pure truth of it. Oh, Devlin, I'm just sorry I've missed it, you gettin' a gal and all. I missed you so much while I was gone."

Devlin's arm tightened around Wren's waist. "And I missed ye, too. But…well, I guess I appreciate you more now, in any case. It gets horrid lonesome withou' ye. I appreciate your chatter a lot more and all. That's something to be thankful for, aine it?"

Wren smiled. "I think so, too."

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Christmas morning was everything and more that Wren had hoped it would be. She awoke that morning earlier than anyone else in the house, which was typical. Jumping onto the icy floor as she flung her bathrobe about herself, Wren went screaming into Devlin's room. "Get up, Devlin! Get up, it be Yuletide morn!" Groaning, Devlin sat up, his dirty blonde hair in a state of disarray that echoed his sister's curly mess that jutted out from her head. He attempted to get up, but then fell back against his pillow grumbling. "Oh, get along with ye, Wren! I'm too old to be gettin' up for Christmas at six in the morn!"

Wren grabbed a pillow and started whacking her brother with it. "If-only-I-had-my-wand!" she said with each hit. Devlin ignored the pillow swings as if they were no more than a pesky fly. Suddenly, one of the pillows that was still under him glowed cherry red for a quick moment. "Ye-ow! Wren Brigit Gallagher! What did ye do that for?" Devlin cried out as he started up and plunged his head into a nearby water pitcher.

Puzzled, Wren replied, "I dinna do it. At least, I dinna do it on purpose. I canna always help the magic, you know. I'm horrid sorry, it just comes out sometimes."

"That it does, Wren. Ye're not to blame, girlie." Turning at the sound of her father's voice, Wren saw him leaning against the doorframe, obviously enjoying the ruckus unfolding before him. "But it got ye up, dinna it, son?"

"Aye," groaned Devlin, rubbing his red cheek.

"It's sorry I am, Devlin," Wren said with concern. "Did I hurt ye?"

With a hangdog expression on his face, Devlin said, "That ye did, lass." While Wren was feeling appropriately ashamed, and thus not on her guard, Devlin suddenly darted forward and hoisted her up over his shoulder. "But not enough to stop me from doin' this!" Squealing and shrieking, Wren laughingly screeched out, "Devlin, ye little demon, put me down this moment!"

Having none of it, Devlin just continued to cart his sister down the hall and flung her onto the couch before her stocking. "Ye asked for it! Maybe next year ye won' try to be a leprechaun and wake me up so early. Now let's get down to business, and mind you don' open any of my parcels."

Wrapping paper and cries of delight rained down on the room for the next hour or so as the family opened their gifts. To Wren's very great surprise, she received but one large gift from her parents, instead of the usual many small ones. But what a gift it was! It was a marvelous broom, the latest Cleansweep to be released in the series. "Ye'll be able to fly regular next year, Wren, and your mam and I wanted you to be havin' the proper equipment, instead of those ratty ole things they give ye up at Hogwarts." Eamon's eyes sparkled as he observed his daughter's obvious joy.

Running forward, Wren gave each of her parents a grateful hug and kiss. "Thank ye, Mam and Da! This is wonderful! I canna wait to try it out!" Wren's eyes drifted lovingly over the graceful handle and the neat twigs of the broom's tail.

Devlin's gift to Wren was small but highly satisfactory. He gave his sister a water globe, which he had had his father bewitch to look like their own home, Gull Cottage. The water of the ocean close by the miniscule house really seemed to be rushing back and forth, and Wren knew that her brother's gift would be a great comfort when she returned to school.

Ignoring Wren's thanks, Devlin cried out as he opened a parcel marked as his, "Thanks, Wren! This be bloody brilliant!" as he held up his gift of a Gryffindor scarf and a top-of-the-line football from his sister. "It's bewitched to stay inflated and to return to you if it gets lost," Wren told her brother as she reached for her next present. He looked too excited to speak any further.

To her surprise, Wren had also received gifts from some of her friends. Katherine had sent some candy from a shop called "Honeydukes" that the first years weren't allowed to visit yet. Mac Cuill had disappeared one day, and returned with a package from Leah in London. Inside were a dozen hand hemmed handkerchiefs and a knitted hat in the Gryffindor colors of gold and scarlet. Angelina and Alicia had both sent books; Angelina's being on Quidditch while Alicia's had been a wizarding novel. All of the gifts were marvelous, and Wren was relieved that she had thought to send all of her roommates gifts as well. She had slipped each of their presents into their trunks as they had been packing-each girl had received scarlet gloves that were bewitched to heat up to just the right temperature without the girl having to think about it consciously. Wren knew that they would be handy when she wanted her roommates to walk down to the lake with her on a wintry day! She hoped that they would make her friends happy.

After the presents were all unwrapped and put away, the time seemed to sit heavy on Wren. The Gallaghers ate their enormous dinner, and then Eamon and Taryn went to go take naps while Devlin snuck off to see his girlfriend. Wren was left practically alone in the house, feeling particularly twitchy and bored. More than anything else she wanted to try out her new broom, but she couldn't in Ainmire. The little town was just too small, and a Muggle was sure to see her flying around in the air. She was just thinking morosely about the Prewett family dinner that the Weasleys would be having at that very moment when suddenly the cheerful blaze in the fireplace turned green. Out popped first Karrie, and then Charlie Weasley!

"Karrie! Charlie!" Wren squealed while keeping her voice low enough to guard against waking her parents. "What are ye doin' here?"

Karrie bustled forward to give Wren a hug as Charlie explained heartily, "We're here to pick you up. Mum's throwing a fit to see you, and we didn't think you'd mind if we invited ourselves over to collect you. Can you run away for a few hours to come to the Burrow?"

Before Wren could answer, Karrie said approvingly, "Your home is everything you said it would be, Wren. It's lovely. I can see why you were so homesick this past term."

"Aye, it's wonderful," Wren replied glowingly. Then she looked furtively around her. "Me Mam and Da are havin' sleeps, and me brother's snuck off to see his gal. It's been horrid lonesome around here, and that's the pure truth of it."

"Well, there's no reason for you to be lonesome any longer! Gather up your cloak and scarf, little one, and we'll take you back with us." Charlie's kind eyes sparkled warmly at Wren's excitement.

Obeying Charlie's commands, Wren scurried back to her bedroom, followed closely by Karrie. The older girl admired Wren's blue and green bedroom while Wren slung herself into her warm black cloak, flung on her Gryffindor scarf and new hat, and a pair of the gloves that she had given her friends. Picking up her broomstick from the corner, she turned to Karrie. "Do ye think I could bring my new broom wit me? I'm wantin' to try it out, and I canna do it here."

Karrie admired the broom, and then shrugged. "I don't see why not. The Burrow is pretty secluded, so no one would be able to see you. I'm so glad you're coming, Wren. The Burrow is overrun with boys right now! I have a girl cousin, Ginny, but she's only eight. She hangs around with Ron mostly, he's nine."

"Well, then, let's go add some feminine charm to all of that boyish mess!" cried Wren with good cheer. She followed Karrie out of the room, where she saw Charlie examining the Muggle telephone with obvious interest. "Don't tell my dad about this, or he'll never let you leave. Ready to go?"

Wren nodded. "Yes, I just need to leave a note for my mam and da." Grabbing a quill and a piece of parchment, the note was soon written. "They're used to me and Devlin runnin' around by ourselves, so they won' mind. I'm ready now."

"Then let's away!" Reaching into his pocket, Charlie pulled out some sparkling powder. He tossed it into the fire, and the flames turned emerald again. "You first, Karrie. Then Wren, and I'll follow up the rear."

Obligingly, Karrie hopped into hearth and shouted "The Burrow!" She disappeared, and then Charlie helped Wren into the flames, one of her hands gripping her broomstick close to her body. "Just hold that broom close and you'll be all right, little one. Go on, now! I'll be right behind you."

Wren nodded and then cried out, "The Burrow!" Suddenly, she began to spin in the same sickening circles, but by now Wren was accomplished enough in Floo travel to know that she just had to close her eyes and soon it would be over. Soon enough, she felt her body slowing down, and Wren braced her muscles so that she wouldn't fall out of the fireplace as she had last time. A hand suddenly gripped Wren's elbow, and she realized that she had reached her destination. "Out of the way, Wren, Charlie's right behind you," she heard Fred say good-naturedly. "What took you so long?"

George grinned from his spot at an enormous kitchen table. "We thought you'd forgotten us, Miss Gallagher. Caused us no end of heartbreak, to be sure, as you would say."

"Oh, you two," Wren said, grinning at their cheerful tones. "The day your hearts break over a lass will be the day that Snape and McGonagall marry each other."

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A/N: Review! They make me unbelievably and incandescently happy.


	14. Presents and Foolishness

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JKR's, although I wish I could put myself inside the books and have a wand, a broom, and a Patronus. That'd be jolly good fun. As it is, I have to deal with having a stupid professor, a ratty old car, and my beloved dog who wouldn't know how to protect me from an enemy if her fat life depended on it. Gotta love it…..if I didn't, I think I would pull a _Kate and Leopold_ and try and find a way to catapult myself into Hogwarts. Holodeck, anyone?

Note: Here's the update, and so soon, too! I hope you all enjoy it. It kept me from going insane today, due to inconsiderate boys that don't deserve to walk the earth and pesky little nine year olds. Please read and review! I could really do with some cheering up, and as no one is available to cast a Cheering Charm on me, you lot are my best hope.

Oh, and per a reader's request, all of the interjections by George will henceforth be italicized for easier reading and comprehension. I will not, however, be changing how Wren talks. I'm rather fond of it myself.

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While the guffaws of the twins met her ears in appreciation of her wit, Wren looked around the kitchen. It wasn't terribly different from her own, except for the definite wizardishness of its appearance. All of the appliances and tools seemed to be bewitched in some fashion or another.

Just as Charlie stepped from the fireplace, a woman that Wren recognized to be as her old helper, Mrs. Weasley, strode into the kitchen. "What _is_ all of this racket, boys? Can't you-oh! Wren, dear, it's you!" Molly's plump and kind face broke into a huge smile as she pulled Wren into a well-cushioned hug. "It's good to see you, lovey! Karrie and the boys speak of you all the time. I'm grateful for you _trying _to keep them in line, although goodness knows that I wish you had some more success. With all of the owls I get, I sometimes fell like the postmaster!" She shook her head. "Welcome to the Burrow!" Then Mrs. Weasley turned to the door and called out, "Rebecca! Sister, come here! You should see this!"

Another woman bustled into the room, a much taller and skinnier witch than Molly. Her hair, instead of being the fiery red of her sister's, was more auburn with the occasional reddish highlights catching the light. Her eyes were a twinkling blue, much like Karrie's. She had the same delicate features of her daughter, but her skin had a lot more brown it in, contrasting sharply with Karrie's rosy skin. Despite of these differences, however, Mrs. Petersen's face broke into the same broad smile as her daughter and sister. "Well, dear," Mrs. Petersen said in a voice that reminded Wren of bells, "I'd recognize you anywhere! You must be Wren Gallagher."

Wren smiled widely. "That I be, Mrs. Petersen. Your daughter be a credit to you and yours, and that's no mistake."

Mrs. Petersen gave Wren a warm hug. "It's nice to finally meet you. Come on, dive into the insanity that is the Prewett/Weasley/Petersen family!"

Following behind Molly and Rebecca, Wren stopped short as she came into the living room of the Burrow. Even though it was already a small room, it looked even smaller by the sheer amount of people that inhabited it. Red and blonde haired children seemed to be crawling everywhere. Babies squalled and husbands laughed heartily at each other's jokes. Pipe smoke clouded the air with vanilla-y fumes, and the older cousins were blatantly showing off their magic skills. Karrie watched these with envious eyes. "On my next birthday I'll be seventeen. Then I can show all of them up."

"I don' doubt it, Karrie me love," replied Wren absentmindedly, as she watched the chaos with fascination. Percy was sitting in a corner, trying to impress a bored young relation with his report card from last term. Charlie was holding some sort of furry creature in his hands, to the great delight of a few little girl cousins. The oldest Weasley brother, whose name Wren knew to be Bill, was showing off his leather jacket to some admiring uncles and scandalized aunts.

Once again, she felt Fred take her elbow in his hand. "Come on, Wren, let's go outside where there's some semblance of organization. I want to see your new broom! Blimey, I still can't believe that you managed to get one! Some people have all the luck."

When they saw Wren trying to figure out how to maneuver through the room, the twins each grabbed one of Wren's arms and lifted her bodily over the bedlam. "Excuse us, sir, madam. Got an Irish girl here!" exclaimed Fred heartily.

"She's got a right bad temper, ladies and gents. Wouldn't want her to set the place ablaze, would we?" George's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Put me down, you heathens!" squealed Wren. Just like Devlin, they just ignored her protests until they were safe outside away from the mayhem. In the rather cluttered front yard, a small girl and three young boys of varying ages were busily assembling a snowman that looked suspiciously like Molly Weasley. "And just what are you lot up to?" asked George conversationally.

The small girl looked up and flipped her red hair back over her shoulder as she continued to busily construct a round arm that held what appeared to be a rolling pin. "We're making Mum, George. Can't you recognize her face?"

"It'd be far easier to recognize if she were shouting, Ginny. So you've roped Ron, Kristen and John into helping you?" Fred asked.

Ginny shrugged. "It was easy-once I told them that I'd put belladonna in their tea if they didn't help me."

"That would do it. You're a credit to the Weasley name, Ginny." Fred said admiringly. He turned to Wren and said, "Wren, allow me to introduce my siblings: my younger sister, Ginny," he said, pointing at the red haired girl, "and my kid brother, Ron." A boy, tall for his age with the red hair of his family, waved in an embarrassed manner at Wren. His clothes were wet from an obvious snowball fight. "Girls frighten him," Fred said as an afterthought. Ron didn't bother to dispute the term as he shuffled his worn boots in the snow.

"And these two fine gentlemen," said Karrie proudly, "are my brothers, Kristen and John." The boys, looking to be about seven and ten years of age, both had the same bright gold hair of their sister. Kristen's eyes were a warm brown, while John's were bright blue. Bright blue spectacles perched on John's nose, and Kristen had an arm in a sling. "Kristen broke his arm when he put a spider on Ron's pillow." Ron's face wrinkled at the mere mention, and tears came into his eyes as George continued. "He came out of his room screaming like a banshee, and knocked Kristen over where he was standing behind the door, snickering. Went head over heels down the stairs, didn't you lad?" Kristen nodded solemnly, his brown eyes still sparkling with laughter.

"Are the gatherings here always so horrid violent?" asked Wren as she put an arm around Ron's shoulders to comfort him. For a moment the little boy and growing boy sides of him visibly struggled-would he allow a _girl_ to put an arm around him, or would he accept the motherly comfort? Deciding on the latter course, he sniffled and wiped his nose as he leaned against the Irish girl.

"Nah, not always. But it's not much fun unless they are," replied George. "Anyway, let's go get our brooms, shall we? Ron inherited Bill's old Shooting Star today, so he'll want to give it a go as well." Ron brightened and hurtled back inside the house, coming back in just a minute in dry clothes and clutching an old, worn and shaggy broom in his hands.

Fred and George collected their own brooms from a shed, and were soon joined by Charlie, who had spotted them from a window and came on the run. Ignoring the frigid cold of the air, everyone was soon swooping around, laughing and shouting. Wren found herself to be grateful for all the trouble that Madame Hooch had taken to teach her how to fly, for she could now ride on her Cleansweep easily. She couldn't say that Quidditch was exactly her idea of fun-she was too easily distracted to be able to keep her mind on what her task was-but she did find flying to be glorious fun.

After hours, but what seemed to be just a few minutes, Mrs. Weasley came out to stand on the front stoop, rubbing her arms and stamping her feet hard against the step in order to warm herself. "All right, you lot!" she called out, effectively putting their impromptu Quidditch game on pause, "hot chocolate's ready on the table! Come and get it!" Then she went back inside, missing the amusing sight as several teenagers and young children came pelting down from the sky like hailstones and knocked each other over in their hurry to reach the liquid warmth.

Inside, Wren was treated like a member of the family. If anybody commented on her presence, they just spoke kindly and handed her another cookie. So she sat in the midst of the family reunion, her nose red from the cold and her long flyaway hair sticking straight up in some places, smiling her happy crooked grin as she sipped from a huge, brown mug.

_Even still, that Christmas shines in my memory as one of my happiest. It was one of the last times that my extended family would be able to join together as one loud, joyous crowd. Even members of the family that weren't technically members of the family yet, but would be in the future were there. That was special, and I shan't ever forget it. Some of Charlie and Bill's friends showed up, and it was a very Merry Christmas indeed._

Eventually some of the families began to trickle away, and Wren was dragged all over the Burrow, even viewing the twins' bedroom (which smelt of gunpowder and was filled with bits of paper on which ideas and inventions were sketched). All too soon, Ron and Ginny were sent complaining into their beds, and Wren knew that it was time for her to return home again to Gull Cottage.

Turning to Karrie, who had been strangely quiet all evening, Wren said, "You must have thought I'd forgotten ye, Karrie. But I dinna-I was waitin' to see if I would get to visit you this Yuletide. In any case, here be your present, and make it bring you happiness and fun!"

Accepting the parcel wrapped in gold, Karrie opened it with trembling hands. Inside a red, leather case was a set of marvelous inks and special parchments, including some that was waterproof. It was the perfect set for an artist, and Karrie was stunned. "Oh, Wren! Wherever did you find this?"

Wren smiled. "I asked me Da, and he picked it up for me in Diagon Alley. I hoped that you would like it."

After giving Wren a rather wet hug, due to the tears that were streaming down her face, Karrie handed her young friend a box that was rather large. "It took me a while to track this down-I hope you like it, with all of your nasty potions that you enjoy so well."

Wren gasped when she saw what was inside the box. It was an impressive kit for growing plants that were essential for potions-there was even a small heating pad for keeping the plants at just the right temperature. It had everything she needed to make proper potions garden-little dehydrated packets of dirt that would spring to life with water, packets of seeds, and even a button that Wren could push to shrink everything into a tiny carrying case no larger than a handkerchief. It would be excellent for taking with her back and forth to school. "Karrie, this be marvelous! I canna wait to start workin' wit it! Thank ye so much! I canna tell you how much I like it!"

"Well, then don't try. I shouldn't like you to hurt yourself in the attempt," Karrie joked. "Now, then, it's very likely that your parents are thinking we kidnapped you. Come on, dear. It's time for you to go home."

Just then, Charlie, Fred, George, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came into the room. "We heard you trying to sneak away without saying good-bye, Mrs. Gallagher," said Charlie with pretend sternness. "If we had been at school, I would have had to have docked you points. Don't let it happen again, Miss."

Wren giggled. "I shan't, Mr. Weasley. Just wait until I start slippin' off to the lake to visit the merpeople-I'm goin' to be losin' enough points then, withou' any extra help from you!"

Ignoring Charlie and Karrie's groans, Mrs. Weasley gave Wren an affectionate kiss and pressed a parcel filled with meat pies and pastries into Wren's hand. "Take this home and share it with your family, dear. It's a poor bribe for having you here, but it's the best that we can do."

"Nonsense, Mrs. Weasley! I should be the one payin' you, and that's the pure truth of it," replied Wren as she gave Mrs. Weasley a hug in return. Mr. Weasley shook his hand, and just as he was about to ask just what a TV remote did, Fred and George grabbed Wren and gently tossed her into the fireplace. "Run away, Wren! Or else you'll be caught here until next summer!" George cried out. Fred grinned and said, "Au revoir, Miss Gallagher! See you back at Hogwarts!"

Wren was whisked away and had soon returned to her home in Ireland, much to the bewilderment of her parents and happiness of her brother, who chose just that moment to walk into the kitchen with a black haired, brown eyed young lady who introduced herself as Maeve, Devlin's girlfriend.

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The rest of the vacation passed in a blur for Wren, who found that she was being kept busy with family time. Much to Devlin's relief, once they had gotten passed their initial shock, Eamon and Taryn accepted Maeve and treated her like one of the family. It did Wren good to see her brother gazing at Maeve with loving pride and joy in his eyes, and she had a sneaking suspicion that despite his youth, Devlin might have just found his true love. She privately and rather jealously thought him very lucky, to have so quickly and so easily found what appeared to be his perfect mate in life.

With such distractions as Maeve and her potions garden, Wren was much happier than she had been earlier. The weather finally began to relent, and on the last day she headed down to the ocean. "Come hell or high water, which it just might be," Wren stubbornly told her imploring mother, "I've been kept far too long from the ocean. I'll go crazy if I don' go soon. I'm goin' and you're not to worry. I'll be just fine and all." Hearing the steel in her daughter's voice, Taryn swallowed her angry retort and simply allowed Wren to go. She and Eamon usually allowed their children to learn from their mistakes, and she knew that Wren would either be wise in her choices and stay away from the cold water, or would come back freezing, sputtering, and wet. The choice was up to her.

Sadly, Wren was just too stubborn to yield to wild judgment. She went into the sea and enjoyed herself vastly for a long time, ignoring the slow cold that seemed to seep into her very bones. She found herself wishing that she could perform the Bubble Head Charm on herself, so that she could duck deep under the waves. But of course, she could not do this. She would get in trouble with the Ministry of Magic and with Hogwarts, let alone the loving ministrations that her own parents would be sure to give her in such a case.

Finally Wren hauled herself from the ocean and was suddenly gripped with cold. She walked her aching way all the way back to the cottage and was ill for the next few days with a raging fever and a hacking cough. Her mother rolled her eyes heavenward, and tended her daughter with loving, if slightly annoyed, care.

By the time came that Wren was supposed to go back to school she was back on her feet, but still plagued by such a hard cough that her muscles ached. There wasn't much that her family could do for her any further, so they simply supplied her with plenty of medicine, and with stern reminders of staying out of trouble, sent their daughter back to Hogwarts by Floo, where she emerged in the much warmer office of Professor McGonagall, who was sitting at her desk. "Welcome back, Miss Gallagher," said the teacher absentmindedly as she motioned for Wren to get out of the fireplace.

"Thank you, pro…pro….._professor!_" sneezed Wren. Professor McGonagall viewed her with some alarm before saying briskly, "Do something about that cold, won't you, Gallagher? Head on up to your dormitory, now, there's just enough time for you to get unpacked before dinner."  
"Aye, Professor. Thank ye much," replied Wren, doing her best not to cough. Thankfully, she was in the hallway when the paroxysm started, and made her way as best she could back to her dormitory and back to her friends. It was good to be back.

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A/N: See? Wren can be just as stupid and stubborn as the rest of us. I decided to award her with a dreadful cold, of the kind that I usually experience at least once a year. Please review!


	15. The Nutty Professors

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't be typing this story in my bedroom in the US. I'd be at Hogwarts waving a wand around and flying a broom. Ergo, the only things I own are the things that you didn't read about in the books.

Note: I should be shot for keeping y'all waiting this long. But since I don't really want to be shot, I decided to make this update a little humorous. The boggart here wasn't my idea-there was a comic of it on deviant art, and I just borrowed it. I hope you like it just the same. I promise that the next review will be coming a lot more quickly! Writer's block is murder…

In any case, try not to hold my deplorable absence against me. Keep hitting the review button!

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"Achooooooo!" Wren's sneeze echoed through the Great Hall, and everybody at the Gryffindor table turned to look at her. Red in the face, she said, "Pardon me" sheepishly.

"Wren," said Karrie with obvious frustration, "you've been back at school for days now, and you've still got that horrible cold. Shouldn't you just go see Madame Pomfrey already? One potion and you're back on your feet with no suffering!"

"You know how I be about doctors and nurses," said Wren firmly. "I canna stand them, and that's the pure truth of it. Nay, I'll likely be over it soon 'nough. Besides, it's my own stupid fault for gettin' it, and Madame Pomfrey don' need to be bothered wit my foolishness. I'll manage."

Tired of arguing over the same sorry subject, Karrie just rolled her eyes and kept eating. Everyone had been back at school for a week, and the school was much warmer and cheerier. The weather was still cold outside, but it was finally above freezing. Spirits were high and snowball fights were frequent-for everybody except Wren. Still plagued by her cold, she stayed inside the castle. Normally this would have been annoying beyond belief for her, but she just reconciled herself to it by spending time with her potions garden and reading in the library. Her dorm mates had all been unbelievably understanding, bringing her hot drinks and enticing her with fascinating books, but even their patience was starting to run out. Wren could be kind and gentle, but she was also stubborn as a mule. And she was the most stubborn on getting medical help. This seemed like a contradiction, considering the fact that she wanted to be a Healer, but she just said firmly that she wanted to be Healer so that she wouldn't have to be the one getting healed and left it at that.

After everyone had finished breakfast, they started off for their first lesson of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Nothing terribly exciting had as yet happened in the class. Professor Amaryllis Kensington was nice enough, but she seemed far more interested in the book she was writing on historic ghouls than she was in teaching classes. Of course, it made the subject quite easy for her students. They had only been assigned four papers so far, and had received just two tests. Still, Wren heard a good deal of mutinous muttering from the older students in the common room. They felt that they were being cheated out of proper lessons, and as the day that they left Hogwarts edged closer, they got more and more nervous.

Today was no different. Professor Kensington gave them an article from "The Daily Prophet" to analyze while she proofread a chapter. The students all looked mournfully at their neglected wands and got to work, Wren trying hard not to cough and disturb everyone else.

After class, the students all wandered off. Several teachers were gone that day, as they had been called to attend some sort of "Magical Educators" conference. Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and Charms had all been canceled, as the Heads of Houses were all supposed to attend the meeting. Professor Kensington had been adamant about remaining behind to work on her book, which she said was moving along "swimmingly."

Wren and Leah met Karrie and Charlie for lunch in the Great Hall, and then the quartet headed to the library together. Wren and Leah were bored out of their minds, so they had offered to help Charlie do some research on a nasty paper that he had been assigned to write by McGonagall. As the walked along the corridors, though, they heard banging inside of a closet. Karrie shot Charlie a bewildered look. "In all likelihood, it's just Fred and George. They probably were looking for another secret passage and got locked in there," he said dryly. He strode over to the closet with the girls trailing behind him. Leah peaked around Charlie's shoulder as he flung open the closet door.

Out of the closet stepped Professor Snape himself, in all of his gruesome glory. He reached menacingly towards Leah, who screamed and started to back away in tears. It had all happened too fast for Karrie and Wren to react, but Charlie frowned and whipped out his wand in one fluid motion. "Something isn't right," he said as he pointed his wand toward Snape.

"Don', Charlie! He's a teacher!" cried out Wren sharply, but by then Charlie was already bellowing "_Ridikulus!"_

Immediately, Professor Severus Snape was wearing bunny ears and had the full-figured form of a cocktail waitress, with only his greasy tresses remaining under the flopping white ears. All of them burst out at once into high-pitched, insane laughter as the creature looked confused.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" gasped Wren through the bouts of laughter. "Do somebody be wantin' to explain this?"

With another wave of his wand, Charlie destroyed the creature with a loud cracking noise. "That, my dear first years, was a boggart. It turns into whatever you fear the most, which, apparently for Leah, is Professor Snape. I just performed the correct spell to zap him. Pity we can't do that in real life."

"And…and where did you ever get the idea of making him into _that_?" Karrie gasped, pointing a quivering finger at where the busty figure had stood only seconds before.

Charlie had the good grace to blush and muttered something about finding a rather risqué magazine under Bill's bed when they'd be a good deal younger.

Karrie was still laughing too hard to help Charlie in his explanation. Her blonde hair flew all over the place as she quivered and gasped. Wren wasn't much better, but suddenly her laughter turned to deep wracking coughs that she couldn't stop. Her chest began to hurt with sharp stabbing pains as she whooped.

Charlie gave Wren one concerned glance before nonchalantly swinging one of his massive arms around her waist and helping her walk down the corridor. "I've had enough of this evasion bosh, Wren. You're going to Madame Pomfrey, and that's that. I don't care if you feel like you've got a chink in your armor or not, that's how it's going to be." Wren was too busy coughing to argue. Leah shouted, "I'll meet you back at the common room later!" before running off, obviously eager to spread the story about Professor Bunny Waitress Snape.

With Charlie's assistance, the small group was soon at Madame Pomfrey's door. She apparently heard Wren's coughs before they got to the door, because the nurse was standing anxiously outside waiting for them. "Mercy!" she cried. "What have you gotten yourself into now?" Without waiting for a reply, Madame Pomfrey ushered them inside where she poured out a potion into blue goblet. "Drink all of this, and that cough will be gone in no time. Gracious me, why didn't you come see me sooner?" Madame Pomfrey stalked off to another bed that was surrounded with curtains.

Wren didn't bother to reply as she drank down the potion that tasted strongly of mint and chamomile. Almost instantly she felt soothing warmth spread throughout her body, and her aching chest suddenly lost its pain and tightness. She found that she could breathe easily again, and all of her congestion and tiredness from the long-lasting cold disappeared as if they'd never been there. _Well, don't you feel stupid,_ Wren told herself sternly. _If ye'd on'y come a week ago, you'd have been better a whole lot sooner._

"There now, "said Karrie exasperatedly. "Was that really as hard as you thought it would be? Was it worth all of that fuss?"

"Nay, it wasn't, and I'll thank you not to be rubbin' my nose in my foolishness, for it's the pure truth that I'm already doin' it," said Wren with a good deal of weariness in her voice. Then she seemed to realize how that sounded and said softly, "I'm sorry, Karrie, I dinna mean to bite at ye. I'm just embarrassed, that's all."

Karrie didn't say anything. She just squeezed Wren's arm lightly. Charlie was just opening his mouth to say something when a queer noise came from the curtained bed. Madame Pomfrey came out from behind it and bustled over to a cabinet, where she noisily looked for a potion. In her hurry to get to the cabinet, she'd left the curtains open just enough so that they curious students could see inside.

On the bed sat a fairly young man, but he was not young enough to be a student. He wore plain gray wizard's robes, and the most notable thing about him was his actions. He was trembling so hard that the bed was shaking, causing a queer whine. One of Wren's eyebrows rose when she heard him muttering something, the tremors shaking him so badly that she could barely understand what he was saying. "N-n-no clear d-d-d-d-d-d-d-distinction…..no r-r-right….w-w-w-w-wrong…." The man's eyes rolled back into his head, and he obviously didn't have a clue where he was or what he was saying.

"There, there, Professor Quirrell….it's just a panic attack. You're probably still too stressed from the trip," Madame Pomfrey said soothingly as she raised a goblet filled with amber potion to the teacher's lips. "This'll make you right as rain."

Through quivering lips, Professor Quirrell managed to drink some potion, and his shakes immediately stopped. "Feel better?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

"Y-y-y-y-yes, thank you, M-m-m-Madame Pomfrey. I ap-p-p-preciate it very much indeed. M-m-must have gotten a little too much sun…" The young man's shaking may have stopped, but it appeared that his stutter was there to stay.

"Well, we're glad to have you back, Professor." Madame Pomfrey handed the young man a clear decanter filled with the same amber liquid. "If the shakes come back, just take some of this and it'll stop. Sometimes foreign wizarding foods can have a strange affect upon the constitution….and I'd heard that you'd had some troubles on your journey?"

"N-n-n-n-n-n-nothing much, N-n-n-nurse. An unfortunate encount-t-t-ter with some hags and vampires…still, absolutely t-t-t-t-t-terrifying…"

"I'm sure it was," Madame Pomfrey said soothingly. "Now get some rest. I'll see you at the staff table this evening."

Appearing to be reluctant to say anything else, Professor Quirrell nodded and left, without even looking at the students that were watching him.

Madame Pomfrey strode back over. "Well, you're looking a fair sight better."

"I am, Madame Pomfrey. Thank ye, ma'am. I could go tackle a grindylow, I could, that's how much better I'm feelin'," Wren said appreciatively to the nurse as she handed back the empty goblet that she had held, forgotten, in her hand.

"Never mind thanking me, just don't be so foolish as to wait like that again, before coming to see me," Madame Pomfrey said sternly. "Now run along! And no more getting sick or injured, mind!"

After thanking the nurse once more, Karrie, Charlie and Wren left the hospital wing. "What was all that about, with Professor Quirrell?" asked Karrie.

Wren was confused. "Who be Professor Quirrell? I aine seen him before."

Charlie frowned. "That's because he's been away on sabbatical. He teaches Muggle Studies here, but he decided that he wanted to learn more about the world. So he left for a year long journey after last term. I guess he decided to cut it short….he never used to stutter like that, though. He and Dad used to get on famously, always talking about Muggles. I can't understand it."

"Well, you heard him, Charlie," put in Karrie. "He said he'd met some pretty Dark creatures. Maybe they just scared him. He'll probably be back to his old self in no time."

"Probably…" Charlie said thoughtfully. Before long, they were back at the Gryffindor common room, where a large banner with a perfect likeness of Professor Snape as the bunny waitress was waiting to greet them, Fred and George accepting congratulations beneath it.

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A/N: The review button is right there. Do please push it and leave me a note.


	16. Surprise!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. JKR does. Thank you.

Note: Ok, so this chapter was obscenely fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it! Oh, and this is also a little present for Legalien….enjoy it, sweetie!

Everybody review, or I shall be heartbroken.

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The days began to flow by quickly, and soon the winter was passing away in the warmth of the spring thaw. Students and teachers alike gratefully shed their heavy clothing and cloaks, and hurried to take advantage of the brightly shining sun. Spring had always been Wren's favorite time of year-it always seemed so full of promise and new beginnings. She moved her potions garden into the light streaming from her dormitory windows, and eagerly smelled the few flowers she had growing there. Mostly growing were specific kinds of weeds and herbs for her potions, but she did have a few Muse lilies, which sang in beautiful voices, and her favorites-delicate and cheerful daffodils.

Leah came in and promptly buried her nose in the sweet-smelling flowers. "Mmmm!" she breathed. She looked up and smiled at her best friend. "Wren, I can't believe that you're not out in that lake right now. It's Saturday and it's finally over sixty degrees. I didn't think we'd be able to hold you back! Is there anything wrong?"

Wren shook her head, her riotous curls flying everywhere. "No, of course not, Leah. I just decided not to be foolish anymore. I dinna listen to me Mam at Christmas, and it cost me. I'm just tryin' to behave myself. I canna stand it any longer, though. I was just abou' to head down to the lake when you came in."

"Well, don't let me stop you. In fact, I'll even walk down to the lake with you, if you'd like," said Leah happily. Wren just squealed her reply and hurried to gather her swimsuit and wand together. She hastily changed into her suit, and then slipped her school robes over it so she'd be decent. Then she and Leah made their way down the stairs to the common room, which was mostly deserted except for Katherine, Charlie, Charlie's roommate Brendan, and Karrie. "Going for a swim, Wren?" asked Karrie nonchalantly as she looked up from a sketch. "Have a good time, then!"

Wren looked at her friend in befuddlement. Usually Karrie spent at least ten minutes berating Wren and reminding her to be safe and not to bother the merpeople if they looked busy before she went for a swim. Now, though, she looked like she didn't even care. "Eh, thanks, Karrie. I'll try. Be back soon!"

Charlie waved casually and said, "Bye, Wren!" before resuming his conversation with Brendan. Shaking her head, Wren just slipped out the portrait hole, followed closely by Leah.

Soon enough, the girl arrived at the lakeshore. "Ye don' have to wait for me if you don' want to, Leah," said Wren as she stripped off her robes. "I'll be just fine if you wan' to head back up to the school."

"Nonsense!" said Leah heartily. "I'll wait right here for you. Wouldn't want you to drown, now, would I?"

"I suppose now. Ah, well, here I go!" With a cheery wave at her friend, Wren cast the Bubble Head Charm on herself, making sure that she had plenty of air in case she came across Gouramis, which she had every intention of doing. Then she slipped below the water and cast herself deep into its depths.

Once she had a fair bit of water over her, Wren pursed her lips together and gave a piercing whistle. Right on cue, Doolish came up and offered Wren a sleek tentacle, which she took in her hands. The giant squid towed his friend down, down, down-right back to the merpeople village.

Just as Wren was worrying about running back into Myrna, she saw a merman leave a dwelling and come gracefully towards her. It was Gouramis! He looked genuinely glad to see her. "Ah, Miss Gallagher, I'm glad to see you again, although it has been a lot longer in-between our visits than I thought. Has everything been well with you?"

"Gouramis! It's glad I am to see ye, and that's the pure truth of it. I'm dreadful sorry about not seein' you before now, but first the storm came, and then I got horrid sick. I'm well now, but I couldna go back into the cold water again after havin' been ill. To be sure, this is the first chance I've gotten to come back."

"I see," said Gouramis gravely. "I'm sorry to hear about your illness, but I am grateful that you've returned. I so enjoyed speaking with you before-you seemed to genuinely care about my people and myself. Tell me, why is that?"

Wren was silent for a moment. "I canna tell for certain, Seer. I suppose I'm interested because I'm practically a water creature meself. I was born and raised on Eire's rocky shores, and I've spent just as much time in water as I have out of it, except this past winter of course. I…well, I often feel safer in the water than I am on land. Everything's simpler down here, even though in some ways it _is_ dangerous. You have to watch the grindylows and you must pay attention to the weather and the tides and the currents. But here, in the water-you can test yourself withou' havin' to worry about anyone else's eyes.

"So I'm interested in you because you belong to this world that I love so well. I've done a fair bit of readin' on your people since I've las' been here, but I wouldna mind hearing more."

"That is an honorable request, and I am happy to grant it," replied Gouramis as he nodded in approval to Wren's answer to his question. "Any human child that has such obvious love for the water is worthy of interest and tutelage. Listen, then, and I shall tell you my story.

"I was born in the Atlantic ocean, just off the shore of Wales, which seems like many miles from here. My father was King Teyrnas, and he ruled with my mother, Queen Brenhines. I had a few brothers and sisters, but as I wasn't the eldest, I was never intended to rule. That was fine with me, since I was early recognized as a Seer. I spent many hours every day in study, learning the history of my people and the science of reading the water to see the future. What free time I had was spent in the company of my siblings, and learning how to heal the injured fish that came to us for help.

"I wasn't terribly aware of the politics that ruled and flowed around my home-that was my father and eldest brother's job. Still, I knew that times were changing. My people were slowly dying off and had to go deeper and deeper into the ocean to avoid the Muggles' notice. As I got older, I saw my father's mouth turn permanently into a frown, and his shoulders stooped as with the great load he was forced to carry. Only my mother could manage to bring a smile to his face and lightness to his heart, when he had formerly been considered a jovial man.

"Because of our people's slow exile from their homes and palaces, they began to lose the knowledge that they had worked so hard to gain. My master, the old Seer, soon died of a broken heart and I became the last Seer of the people of the Atlantic. Times worsened, however, when we somehow garnered interest. It was the Muggles who found us, though. It was the betrayer, Voldemort." Wren shuddered at the Dark wizard's name, and Gouramis nodded. "Yes, I see that you know that name. You wonder, no doubt, what interest Voldemort would have in us? Even in those old times, he was still trying to gather together as many magical creatures as possible. While we were few, the merpeople could still perform a few good services. I know of several of my fallen race that have drowned people and pulled down bridges in Voldemort's service.

"Still, before my father gave his people permission to serve Voldemort, he came to me for advice. He wished me to divine the waves, to discover the water's wishes for us in this matter. Voldemort was present-he'd somehow managed to transfigure himself so that he could breathe and move among us. His eyes terrified me, but I obeyed my father and sat in silence for three hours, listening and feeling the water and learning its desire in this matter. Soon, enough, I had my answer. 'The water does not wish this union!' I cried out. 'Please leave our land!'"

"My father was surprised, but he obeyed my word. How could he argue with the water? So he echoed my request and asked Voldemort to leave. But Voldemort went pale, and his eyes glared red in his anger. I almost expected the water about him to flash boil, such was his fury. He then vowed to crush whatever merpeople opposed him, and to make it his personal business to see that all of our knowledge was lost."

"But he dinna succeed!" cried Wren. "You're still here, and there must be others in the deep places of the sea!"

"Oh, little one," sighed Gouramis. "He did succeed. I have already told you that I was the last Seer of my people, and that we had been degraded into a people of cruelty and stupidity. He enchanted and cursed all of us, until we were left as mere shadows of what we had been.

"I feel certain that I would have died, had not I received help. Voldemort was certain to want my life, since I was the one who denied him my peoples' assistance. But a man came to me in the ocean, and offered me and a few others a place of refuse and safety. 'There is a large lake where I live and work,' he said, 'and I would be happy to offer you asylum. Perhaps someday you can rebuild your race, and return to your ocean in safety. Until then, though, you are welcome to live at Hogwarts.'"

"Dumbledore!" cheered Wren. "It was him, wasn't it?"

"That it was, Wren. With his magical help, I and a few others, including my sister, Tywysoges, were brought to this lake at Hogwarts. Myrna," he said sadly, "is the daughter of my sister. She has lived here all her life, and does not know of our grand history. I have tried to educate the children of my family, but they despise me for my Seer status. 'You think you know what water saying,' they mock. 'How can we listen to you?' It is sad, because even as they are mocking me, I can hear the water's gentle murmur. I am old, and I will die soon. What, then, will become of my people?" He turned his back on Wren, and she could have sworn that the merman was weeping. She swam up to him and said gently, "If there's any way that I can be of help to you, Gouramis, you may depend on me. Please know that."

Gouramis turned and smiled at Wren. "Oh, little one. You are a comfort to me. The water whispers that our meeting was fated, and I am glad for it." Suddenly, he looked up at the water. "The water also tells me that your little friend is anxiously awaiting your return. Go back to the surface, but please, come again. Now that I have told you my story, I wish to hear yours."

"Aye, Gouramis. I'll return. Thank ye for your time and patience." Wren then began the swim back to the surface, emerging very near where Leah was pacing back and forth. She turned to Wren and said with a glad cry, "There you are! Aren't you done yet?"

"Aye," said Wren, shaking her head like a dog. She pointed her wand at herself and was instantly dry. "Begorrah, and that's a handy spell. I'm glad I found it in Karrie's book."

"Yes, yes, very handy," said Leah impatiently. She thrust Wren's clothes at her. "Now hurry up and get dressed."

"What's the big hurry?" asked Wren curiously as she shrugged into her robes. "Ye leave a potion burning or something?"

"Very funny, Wren. You know that I have as little to do with potions as possible. I just want to get back to the common room, that's all. I…I think I left a book there and I don't want anyone to bother it."

"Ye know tha' no one will borrow your things, Leah," Wren comforted as she started to trudge back to the castle with Leah. "It'll be fine. And Merlin's beard! Such things that I learned from Gouramis today! You'll never believe it!"

"Fascinating, absolutely fascinating," said Leah.

Wren shot her a concerned glance. "I haven't even said what was interesting yet, Leah! Are ye sure you're well?"

"Of course I'm sure." Leah said, before slamming her lips together tightly.

Wren just shook her head and said "double double toil and trouble" to the Fat Lady. "Right so," she said tersely, before swinging open and allowing access to the Gryffindor common room. Wren popped through and gasped at the sight. "Wha'….wha'….what's goin' on?" she said bewilderedly. There before her was a giant banner that read "Happy Birthday, Wren!"

Suddenly, out behind couches and under tables and down the stairs poured the entire Gryffindor House. "Surprise! Surprise!" everyone hollered and shouted, as Fred and George lifted Wren on their beefy shoulders. "Did you think we'd forgotten your birthday?" shouted Karrie up at Wren as she gazed in amazement at everything.

"Begorrah! To be sure, I'd forgotten it meself!" cried Wren. Everyone laughed and the twins let her down. A giant cake in the shape of Doolish was resting on the table, and a small pile of presents sat in front of the fireplace. "You told me that you'd never had a surprise party," blurted out Leah, who was blushing mightily. "We decided to fix that. Karrie and Charlie and Katherine planned most of it. Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! Thank you so much, everyone!" Wren shouted at the room. A right good party got underway, and soon someone had started some Celtic music pumping. Wren even did an impromptu jig, which garnered many cheers.

The presents ended up being marvelous, the best undoubtedly being Katherine's, to Wren's surprise. It was an ankle wand sheath, to hold her wand against her leg as she went swimming in the lake. She also received several books, and she got a lovely sketch of Doolish from Karrie. Charlie's gift was a new cage for Mac Cuill.

The greatest surprise was yet to come, though. To escape the wild chatter that was still going on at eleven that night, Wren walked out onto the balcony leading off of the common room. There, to her enormous surprise, was Karrie locked in Brendan's arms. They were snogging, and appeared to be enjoying it mightily. Wren was starting to back away in order to avoid embarrassing them when Karrie suddenly saw Wren out of the corner of her eye. "Oomph!" she said, drawing back from Brendan. "Wren! Uh, well….darn it. I guess I can't hide it anymore, can I?"

Brendan blushed as well; his curly brown hair and blue eyes made him look more dashing than ever. He was a year older than Karrie, but Wren suddenly understood how perfect the two were for each other. They were both artistic, and Brendan had a lovely singing voice. He was gentle and kind, and Wren found that she approved heartily.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Why'd you bother to hide it from me in the first place? I aine shy, nor nosy. Congratulations, you two!" said Wren with a broad grin on her face. Then she backed away and left the young couple in peace, planning to get all the details from Karrie in the morning. For now, she left them in each other's company and wrapped in the embrace of the cool spring evening.


	17. The Go Ahead

Disclaimer: I don't own it, so don't sue me for playing.

Note: Sorry that this update has been so long in coming. What with midterms and my mother wanting us to repaint two rooms of the house and buying a new car, my life has been a little full. I've got some great plot ideas for Wren's second year at Hogwarts, so hold on to your wands, and stay with me! Please reviews, and happy reading!

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It wasn't long until Wren got the whole story of Karrie and Brendan's courtship. Karrie willingly told her young friend everything once she had Wren's word that it would go no farther.

"It's all like this," Karrie said as she curled cozily up in a couch in the common room. Just about everyone else had left on a Hogsmeade visit, but Karrie chose to remain behind. Most of the other first and second years had gone to see the Gobstones Final Match, so Karrie and Wren were fairly safe from detection. "Brendan and I had always known each other through Charlie, but we'd never really spoken. He always seemed so shy and quiet, and I didn't want to bother him. All that changed, though, when we met one day on the roof. I had been sitting up there for a while sketching the horizon, and I was spitting mad because my pencil had broken and I'd forgotten my sharpener.

"Brendan came up behind me and heard some of my choice words, which, I'm relieved to say, were all in Danish so he couldn't understand me anyway. He must have understood my tone, though, because he just looked at my pencil and unfinished drawing, and took the pencil from me. He pulled out his wand, pointed it at my pencil, and immediately it sharpened to just the right point for drawing! I was amazed that he knew about art. He handed the pencil back to me with this shy smile. I can't really explain it, Wren," Karrie said dreamily. "I just started to say thank you when I looked up into his eyes. They looked so gentle and understanding, like he knew exactly what I was trying to say. I'd never really looked at him before…and then he just conjured up a chair, sat down beside me, and started his own charcoal sketch of the same scene! We stayed up there for hours, asking for each other's advice and comparing techniques."

"Begorrah," Wren breathed. "Sure, and that's one of the loveliest things I've ever heard! But why do ye wan' to keep it a secret? Aine you proud abou' it?"

"Have you ever heard Brendan's last name?" asked Karrie. Wren shook her head. "His name is Brendan Sewell. He comes from one of the oldest pureblood families in the country. Most of his family believes strongly in only being with other purebloods. His mother and father are very kind, and they say they don't care who their children date as long as they're happy. Still, though, some of their cousins like the Malfoys and the Blacks would be horrible to Brendan and his family if they found out about our dating."

"But Karrie," exclaimed Wren, "that's all such malarkey! Ye're not exactly a Muggleborn. Your mam came from the Prewetts, another pureblood family! Your da was a Muggleborn, but don' your Mam's side count for eenythin'?"

Karrie sighed. "You obviously still have a lot to learn about some kinds of wizards, Wren. They don't care who you are; they care whose blood you carry. I'm a half-blood, and that means that I'm not good enough for a Sewell in their books-rather, their family albums. I don't know how, but we'll work it out. Brendan and I may be young, but….." she swallowed hard, "I care a great deal for him. It'll be just fine, I'm sure." Karrie sounded as if she were reassuring herself just as much as Wren.

Her young friend didn't really know what to say. She just put her arm about Karrie's shoulders, silently telling Karrie not to give up, and that she would be with her for every step of the way.

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The term was finally beginning to wind down, and the students were discussing where they would be going for the summer. Most of them would be returning to their homes, but others would be going on vacation or going home with fellow classmates. Karrie had asked Wren to come home with her, but the Irish girl had politely refused. "Thanks very much, Karrie. To be sure, there's hardly eenythin' I'd rather do than get to spend an entire summer with you. But…well, I'll still be missin' my mam and da. I think I'll spend some time with them. Maybe later on in the summer, you can come for a visit or somethin'." Karrie had smiled and agreed.

Charlie Weasley and the rest of the Gryffindor team were heroes, however. They had won the Quidditch cup, and Charlie was pleased that his leadership of the team had gone so well.

On the last day before exams would start, Wren escaped the common room filled with moaning students who were all studying frantically for the tests that were staring them all dead in the faces. Wren felt fairly prepared for all of the exams except History of Magic-that one she was cheerfully resigned to failing. She knew that a few more hours in front of a textbook really wasn't what she needed-rather, she wanted some time back in the lake with Gouramis and Doolish.

For once going without Karrie or Leah, Wren traveled back down to the lake and jumped in, reveling once more in the freedom that the water held. Doolish gave her a ride back down to the merpeople village, and Wren rewarded him with some sausages that she had snitched from the breakfast table. "Gouramis! Gouramis, it be Wren! I'm back!"

Gouramis came out of his cottage, smiling broadly. "Wren! Welcome! I'm very lucky in my company today!"

Wren was just starting to look puzzled at the Seer's statement when to her horror, he was followed. Coming out of the cottage behind the Seer was none other than Professor Dumbledore himself. "P-p-professor!" stuttered Wren, sounding very like Professor Quirrell. "It's sorry I am to have disturbed you, sir. If I aine supposed to be here, I do apologize. Please, don' be angry wit me!" Wren remembered Dumbledore's terrible anger when the twins had bothered the centaurs, and feared that she would receive similar treatment.

Dumbledore floated over to Wren, his long beard waving amusingly in the water. It appeared that he didn't need a Bubble Head Charm to be there in the water-he looked just as usually did on the land. "Calm down, Miss Gallagher. I'm not going to punish you," Dumbledore said, his deep voice seeming to cause the water to vibrate around Wren's ears. "Gouramis was just telling me how much he has enjoyed your visits, and I am glad that he should have some company. I have to neglect him far too much, I fear. Besides, I was already aware of your visits."

Wren gaped at the headmaster. "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but how did ye know? Aine you mad at me for leavin' the school and all?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "My dear girl, I am quite aware that you are very intelligent, so it should be obvious to you how I knew. Any girl that spends an inordinate time at the lake for no apparent reason, comes to Madame Pomfrey with grindylow scratches, and suddenly shows an abnormal amount of interest the history of merpeople is surely visiting the people in the lake! Besides, my office overlooks the lake. I see you very often from my window-I notice that Miss Noraway is doing very well in her sketching lessons, by the way. And as I have already said, I am not angry. No specific rule exists about visiting the lake, simply because I do not think a student has ever conceived the idea before now. I will not restrain you from doing something that brings you so much joy, and causes Gouramis pleasure."

Wren openly gaped at the headmaster. "You truly know everything that goes on at the school, don' you, sir?"

Dumbledore laughed. "I love the school, Wren, and I enjoy the students. It is far too easy for young witches and wizards to get into something over their heads, and it is my job to look after them. I don't know everything, but I do try and make sure that nobody is going to kill themselves by throwing themselves into Greenhouse number 4, or some such thing. Now then, I must return to the school. Professor McGonagall needs me to approve the examination schedule for tomorrow. Speaking of which, I believe Professor Binns was telling me that a good deal of his exam will be focused on the feats of the Trolls during the Goblin Wars. I suggest that you make use of that information." With a merry wink at the still astonished Wren, the professor shot towards the surface after bowing politely to Gouramis.

The Seer shook his head. "He's a good man. I don't think you students realize how lucky you are to have him as your headmaster, Wren."

"On this one thin', you're wrong, Gouramis," said Wren softly. "We all know exactly how lucky we be."

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The two friends enjoyed a long conversation, but soon Wren knew that she must leave. "I will miss you, Gouramis, when I must return home for the summer," said Wren honestly. "I've truly enjoyed our talks."

"I, as well," replied Gouramis softly, his green skin appearing to darken for a moment. "Still, I know that you will return soon. Did you know, my young friend, that merpeople lived in Ireland as well? They were called merrows, if they aren't all gone now."

"Really?" breathed Wren, intrigued. "I wish that I could visit them, as I visit you!"

"That probably wouldn't be the best idea," said Gouramis smilingly. "They were heavily steeped in magic, and are just as dangerous as some of my kin here. Nay, Wren, I suggest that you wait until you are a little older before you attempt to speak with them."

"I'll heed your words, although me heart bids me to go forward," said Wren longingly.

Gouramis nodded. "I doubt that we shall see one another before you leave school, Wren, so will you accept my blessing? I pray that it will keep you until your return." Honored at the idea of the Last Seer blessing her, Wren nodded eagerly, causing several of her curls to flip wildly about her eyes. "Very well, little one." Gouramis' voice took on a queer, wavering tone that seemed to match the water about him. "May the waves favor you, and ever guide you home. May you be safe from rocks and all the dangerous creatures of the deep. May you live at peace with your world and your family, and remember the wisdom that others offer you. And may you continue to be a light in all the darkened places of the sea, as you have been here among my people."

"Thank you, Seer," breathed Wren. "I wish the same to you, and that you'll remain in good health until I return."

"My thanks," said Gouramis as he bowed. "Now go, and may your return be swift!"

Wren nodded, and then kicked her way to the surface, sobered by the sad look on Gouramis' face as he waved farewell.


	18. Farewells

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't sue.

Note: This is a shorter chapter that usual, but that's because it should be updated soon. Don't worry, this isn't nearly the end of _Identity_. I've got some fabulous ideas for Wren's second year! Please review!

Exams were positively murderous; at one point, Leah had almost fainted in the Potions exam. Snape had looked grimly thrilled at this, of course, but thankfully the disgusting odor of the Rodent-Vanishing Potion they were making for the test brought the weakening student to her senses. Wren, aside from trying to help Leah, found herself even vaguely enjoying the exam. She knew that she'd miss the draft old dungeon in a morbid sort of way. She didn't like Snape, but she did like the subject. What was more, the bat-like teacher didn't frighten her at all, so they had a nasty sort of mutual respect. He didn't grouse at her, she didn't sass him. It worked. In any case, almost all of the students emerged from the dungeon groaning and smelling bad enough to make Peeves run screeching away, clutching his nose between his two forefingers.

History of Magic even went a little better than Wren was expecting-Dumbledore's hint had saved her life, and she found herself being able to answer the majority of the questions. She suspected that her grade would be slightly affected by the fact that halfway through the exam, she got distracted by the Weasley twins who were jinxing their fellow students' hair so that it stood up on all ends. But a sharp jab from Katherine by her side swiftly brought Wren back to herself, and she was able to complete the test on time, but just barely.

Transfiguration and Charms were hideously difficult, however. Professor McGonagall had told all of her students to transfigure a long piece of string into a worm, which left more than one student pale and trembling. Wren had turned in her worm, fairly satisfied but still a little troubled as to the fact that at the very tip of the worm's tail, there was just the tiniest piece of string still showing.

Finally, the last exam was finished and everyone was given a few days off while the papers were being graded. Wren found herself enjoying this time-she spent a good deal of it with Karrie and with her own roommates. Karrie was understandably upset over Brendan's impending departure from Hogwarts, and Wren knew how worried she was that she and Brendan would never be together. Therefore, Wren spent a good deal of time attempting to distract her older friend from these facts.

The Weasley twins did the best job of distracting Karrie, however. It appeared that hair fascinated them, for on one morning, the entire school awoke to screeches and screams coming from the Slytherin portion of the castle. The entire school came bursting into the Great Hall, howling and yowling to beat the band. And every last one of them, from old to young, boy and girl, was sporting purple hair. And every last one of them was pointing at the Gryffindor table.

"Order!" Dumbledore's voice boomed. "Will everyone that has been subjected to the charm please go to the hospital wing? Madame Pomfrey can sort you out there, I'm sure. And if anyone knows who is responsible for this prank, they are asked to come forward." All of the Gryffindors suddenly became vastly interested in the state of their fingernails and in the intricacies of their goblets of pumpkin juice. They all knew perfectly well who was responsible, but as the Cup had already been awarded, it wasn't as if points could be taken away from them anyway. Not to mention the fact that none of them would give away the Weasleys for the world. They were too much fun to watch, and they brought too much glory to Gryffindor to rat out.

On the last night before everyone was to leave Hogwarts for the summer, Wren went for a walk around the grounds with Katherine. "I expect it will be fine for you," said Wren enviously. "You on'y live down the road from the school. You can see it anytime you wan'." She looked at the school behind her. "Already I miss it."

Katherine shook her head, her red hair swinging. "It won't be the same, Wren. Sure, I live in Hogsmeade, but I'm going to miss this place just the same. This past year has been so much fun…I know I'll be counting the days until I get back."

Wren gave Katherine a shrewd look. "You say that like you know you're goin' to be lonely, Kate."

"I _shall_ be lonely. Living with you girls and going to classes….my life shall seem terribly empty without it. My mother doesn't have much time for me, you see, what with my older brothers and sisters and the shop to run. Still, I'll make it, though two months does seem like an awful long time."

Wren placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'll write to you, Kate, if you'd like me to. I'm goin' to miss you…I hope that next year we can spend more time together."

Katherine smiled. "I'd like that. And I'll write to you, too. It will be fun to watch for Mac Cuill."

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The trunks were packed, all was in readiness. The girls in the first year Gryffindor dorm were mostly miserable at the fact of having to leave. "Cheer up, girls," said Angelina through her tears. "It's just two more months, and second years get to do so much more than first years. We can have brooms, for one! We can throw water balloons on the first year Slytherins. I think Fred and George would be proud." Everyone laughed at that, and felt some better.

Karrie, Brendan, Charlie, Fred, George, Wren and Leah all traveled in one coach together on the train. They played Exploding Snap and did as much magic as possible, since they wouldn't be able to once they got off the train. "So where is everyone doing over the holidays?" asked Brendan. He was holding Karrie's hand.

"Mum'll probably have us messing about with the house and garden," groaned Fred. "She probably wants just retribution for all of those owls Dumbledore sent her."

"We shan't see daylight all summer." George's voice was dismal.

Charlie, looking superior, said, "I'm going to Romania to look at a job there. I've been offered a position, working with dragons. Dad's going to Apparate with me out there, to make sure it'll work for me. I hope it does."

"So you aren't going to play Quidditch for your job, Charlie?" Timid Leah asked shyly.

"No. Dragons are far better than Bludgers." Everyone laughed at the blissful look on Charlie's face. "What about you, Brendan old man?" Charlie asked his roommate.

"I'll spend the holidays avoiding my family as much as possible, and looking for a job. I'd love to do something with my art…maybe paint wizard portraits. We'll have to see how it goes," Brendan replied. His voice was hesitant, but his eyes spoke of his determination. Wren had the strange feeling that Brendan would succeed, somehow.

"Well, I'm going on vacation with my family," said Karrie. "John will be joining me at Hogwarts this coming term, so we want to spend family time before everyone's split up even more. He's _so_ looking forward to it. We're going to tour Europe…I'm mostly looking forward to seeing Italy. They have such wonderful art there. We're also going home to Denmark for a visit….John's going on his visit to Azkaban, poor lad." Karrie shuddered.

"What do you mean, Karrie?" asked Leah, startled.

Karrie's face got deathly grim. "Each child in my family is taken to Azkaban the summer before they go to Hogwarts. Azkaban is off the coast of Denmark, you know. My grandfather always takes you."

"But why?" burst out Wren vehemently. "Why would you be goin' to such a horrid place?"

"As a lesson. You see, when you start training as a wizard or witch, you must understand that you are governed by wizarding laws. The idea is to teach the child that while magic can be fun or exciting, it can also be dangerous. What you do with it has consequences. It sounds harsh, but I see the wisdom in it now. I'll _never_ be tempted to break the law. I've seen the inside of that place once, and I never want to repeat the experience." Even though everyone questioned Karrie closely about what the prison was like, she kept quiet and said, "Don't ask me to relive it. Nothing I say can describe it anyway."

Finally, the train pulled into the station and all of the students poured out. "Mum! Da!" squealed Wren, as she spotted her waiting family. "Mum, you went past the barrier?" she asked as she was swooped up into her father's arms.

"Of course! No barrier was goin' to keep me pas' my lovey, and that's the pure truth of it," replied Taryn, although she looked a little pale. "Devlin's waitin' at the Floo Station. We'll meet him there."

"Glad to be home, Wrenny?" asked Mr. Gallagher as he took his little daughter's hand in his.

"In a way, Da. But in another way, I know I'm going to be homesick.

Eamon's eyes sparkled down at Wren. He knew just how she felt. Together the family walked off of Platform Nine and Three Quarters and back into the Muggle world.


	19. A Kidnapping of Sorts

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never have. JKR has that honor.

Note: Well, here's your update, finally! I hope I haven't lost all the readers I had. It's a trifle short, but it felt really good to break through the writer's block at last. Please forgive me for taking such a long time-between Christmas and exams and family drama, things have gotten a little out of hand. Still, I'm going to try and get one more update posted before I leave on vacation later this week…after my birthday. Life, my friends, is nuts. Best wishes to you all, especially to Anya Urameshei! This chapter is for you, for saying that you were in love with this story. I hope you like Wren's second year at Hogwarts even better than the first! Happy reading!

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The summer had seemed endless to Wren. She loved being at home, loved being back with her beloved family, and enjoyed being a part of her village again. Ainmire had never seemed so sweet, and her room in Gull Cottage had never seemed so cozy.

Still, though, all of her favorite pursuits seemed empty without her friends or magic. Wren ended up developing a routine, much to her mother's amusement. Before Hogwarts, Wren would spend her days carelessly, merely going from one activity to the next without any semblance of structure. Not so now-she couldn't seem to function without some sort of plan to follow. She would get up in the mornings, make her bed and straighten her room. Then she would leave her bedroom, have breakfast with her family, and then do her chores. After these distasteful activities were over with, she would run outside and have a morning swim, even though she found her pleasure lessened in this activity somewhat since she could no longer use her handy Bubble Head Charm. After at least an hour, she would emerge from the sea water, dripping wet and her fingers winkled like prunes. In order to dry herself, she'd walk along the beach, collecting sea shells and letting her mind wander.

After lunch at home with her mother and sometimes her brother and his girlfriend, Maeve, Wren would then walk through the village, often talking to her favorite shopkeeper, Mr. Holm. Mr. Holm was one of the wizarding inhabitants of Ainmire, and he seemed to enjoy listening to Wren tell stories of Hogwarts. He had been a Hufflepuff, and so he found her descriptions of the Gryffindor common room fascinating. Wren also enjoyed poking around his queer antique shop, which even held a secret room full of magical objects which wizards and witches could buy. Mr. Holm seemed especially fascinated with what he called "The Weasley Stories." He found the Weasley twins to be highly amusing, and often offered Wren suggestions as to what would make a good joke. She decided not to pass these juicy bits on to the Weasleys-they got into enough trouble on their own with having a vicarious shop-keeper help them along.

Wren's afternoons were often spent in her room with her spell books, trying to keep from forgetting all she'd learned, and with parchment and ink as she wrote letters to her roommates and friends. Karrie wrote back often, usually enclosing a lovely pencil sketch of what she was doing. Leah's and Katherine's missives made Wren sad sometimes-they sounded horribly lonesome. No matter how fun summer was, Wren knew that they'd all be glad when school started back.

One afternoon two weeks before the new term began, Wren was ensconced in her room. Devlin had gone to take Maeve to the movies, Eamon was at work, and Taryn had gone to a garden club party. Gull Cottage was quiet and, Wren admitted to herself, unbelievably lonely. The silence was driving her mad.

Suddenly there was an enormous cracking noise, which Wren recognized to be from Apparition. Her heart beating quickly, she hurried into the living room to see who it was. To her delight, there stood Charlie Weasley, looking at the Muggle television with interest. "Charlie!" she squealed. "What be you doin' here?"

Charlie looked up and grinned. "Hello, Wren. How would you like to be kidnapped?"

Wren cocked her head. "If it'd get me out o' here, I'd be thrilled wit it. By why would you be kidnappin' me?" she asked, puzzled.

"Mum wants you to come and spend a couple days at our house. Karrie and John are already there, so the only one we're missing is you," Charlie answered. "Go on, then, pack up a bag and I'll take you back with me."

"Well…." Wren said, unsure. She couldn't leave without her parents' permission. Just then, her mother walked in the door, looking quite nice in a green dress. "Oh!" Taryn gasped as she caught sight of Charlie's tall and rather imposing form. "Who are you?" she asked, obviously frightened.

"Mam, this is Charlie," Wren hastily said as she ran to take her mother's purse and place it on the table. "You remember, Fred and George's older brother."

Taryn wrinkled her nose in thought. "The oldest Weasley boy? Aye, I remember you tellin' me about them. It's good to meet you, lad," she said, as she went forward to shake Charlie's hand.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Gallagher. I'm sorry to have frightened you. My mother wants to know if Wren may come and visit for a few days. We'd have her back well before she'd need to start getting ready for school," Charlie said, looking hopeful.

"Well…" replied Mrs. Gallagher slowly, "I suppose its all righ' wit me. As long as she's back in plenty o' time to visit with her family before she has to leave again."

Charlie's broad grin spread across his face. "Fine! We'll get her back to you in a few days, then. I'll wait for you here, Wren, while you pack."

Shooting her mother a thankful look, Wren dashed into her bedroom, nearly tripping over a table in the process. Grabbing a small duffel bag, she flung clothes and other supplies in it at a startling rate. Snatching up a cloak and her broom, she somehow managed to drag the whole mess into the den while simultaneously flinging her cloak about herself. "Well," she said breathlessly, "I'm ready."

Taryn came forward and gave her daughter a kiss. "Good-bye, then, lovey. I'll be seein' ye in a few days."

"Bye, Mam!" Wren gave her mother an exuberant hug. "Take care!" Charlie came forward and took Wren's bag in one hand, and offered her his other. "We're going to be Apparating, Wren. We were out of Floo powder. You know how it's done?" Wren nodded, having already received a crash course in Apparition when he father had taken her to Diagon Alley. "All right, then. Grasp my arm, and don't think you're going to hurt me. I doubt a little thing like you could," Charlie said, laughing. Wren found herself agreeing-both of her small hands could barely wrap around Charlie's muscular upper arm. "One…two…three!" Instantly, mind-absorbing pressure hit Wren's entire body, and she would have gasped if her throat had been able to move. "Oh, why did I ever agree to this foolishness?" was the only thought that managed to get past the pressure before she resigned herself to wait patiently until it was over. Thankfully, it was over but a second later.

"You all right, Wren?" asked Charlie politely as he peered down at her.

"Aye, Charlie, although I'd be just as happy if I returned home another way," Wren said as she tried to catch her breath.

Charlie grinned, but he didn't say anything. He didn't have time, for just then Wren had looked up and caught sight of the Burrow, and out of its doors came pouring the Weasley clan. "Wren!" shouted little Ginny, her hair like fire in the bright sunlight, "I'm so glad you could come! Now there'll be another girl here!" she crowed.

Then Wren was surrounding by Weasley and Weasley relatives. Fred and George were pounding her on the back as if she were a lost comrade, Percy was peering at her through his horn rimmed glasses as if he were examining whether her teeth had gotten any straighter, and Karrie was wrapping her arms around her. "Hello, Wren! Pleasant trip?" she asked with a twinkle in her star-like blue eyes.

"No," replied Wren honestly, "but it's glad I am to see ye again, Karrie. You're lookin' well." Karrie blushed and was about to reply when Mrs. Weasley appeared and pulled Wren out of the chaos. "Mercy, children! Let Wren catch her breath, won't you? Gracious, I had thought that I'd raised you better," she scolded.

"It was an admirable effort, Mum," replied George, "but I'm afraid your lessons just didn't take like they should have."

"We're quite the barbaric lot," Fred said cheerfully. "You might as well accept it. Everybody else seems to."

"I don't know that I'd agree with that, Fred. And neither does Dumbledore, considering the amount of owls that were sent here over the past year. He and Professor McGonagall don't appear to be terribly accepting of your…_barbaric_ behavior at all, bless them. And neither am I, so I shall continue on in the missionary work I've been dealt. This means that you and your brother just earned the highly praiseworthy task of washing all the windows inside and out, which got to go a long way towards your reform. Go along, now, march!" The twins groaned and complained loudly, but got moving at Mrs. Weasley's stern tone, slinking back towards the house in search of cleaning supplies.

Looking pleased with her performance, Molly said calmly to Wren, "Come on in, lovey and we'll get you settled. You and Karrie will be sharing Ginny's room. I hope you don't mind kipping on a camp bed, for the house is bursting at the seams."

"Of course not, Mrs. Weasley," Wren said as she skipped alongside the motherly woman, Karrie following silently. "I'm so glad to be here that I don' mind anythin' at all! I just hope I won' be a bother to ye," she said anxiously.

"Tut, tut, don't worry about that, dear. We like having guests, and I imagine you'll be helping out some anyway, so you won't be a bother at all," Molly replied briskly as she climbed up the stairs. "Here we are, then! Ginny's room. I'll leave you girls to it." She opened the door and then left. Catching sight of the room, Wren could barely contain a gasp of wonder.

It was still a little girl's room, but it was a wizarding room! Stars glowed from the ceiling, pictures of broomsticks littered the walls, and a poster featuring Hogwarts adorned Ginny's closet door. The eiderdown on Ginny's bed featured colorful fish that looked as if they were swimming around in a sea, and her toy rabbit waved cheerfully as the girls walked in. Ginny ran forward and picked it up, saying, "This is Rufus, my rabbit. He's rather old and babyish, but I don't want to get rid of him yet. Do you think I should?" she asked the older girls nervously.

"Heavens no, Ginny!" replied Karrie heartily. "Why, I slept with my toy polar bear up until the night I went to Hogwarts. I think Rufus can stay around for a while longer." Rufus emitted a tiny sigh of relief at this, and everyone laugh.

"That bed's yours, Wren," said Karrie, pointing at a bed covered with a red blanket. "I'm very glad you got to come. Your letters all sounded so sad-are you well?"

"Aye, Karrie, I'm fine. I just missed bein' with my friends and all," Wren said cheerfully as she put her things neatly away. "You canna imagine how wonderful it was to see Charlie waiting in my den, sayin' he was bound to kidnap me. I never knew kidnappin' could be so pleasant," she said, looking around the room. "But if this be the results of kidnappin', I wouldna mind more of it, and that's the pure truth of it."

Karrie grinned for a minute, but her smile swiftly faded as she looked at her watch and sighed. Ginny piped up, "Don't worry, Karrie. He'll be here soon."

Wren looked from one girl to the other. "What's goin' on? What've I missed?"

Smiling weakly, Karrie replied, "Yesterday was my brother, John's, eleventh birthday, Wren. My grandfather took him to see Azkaban today. I'm just worried about him…I remember how I was just after my own visit."

"Oh, Karrie! I'm so sorry…poor little blighter," Wren said sympathetically. "I'm sure he'll be fine, though. He comes from good stock."

Turning her back a little so that no one could see her face, Karrie answered in a steady voice that belied her posture, "Yes, you're right, of course. He'll be fine." Still, a shadow had fallen on the room since Karrie had uttered that dreadful word: _Azkaban_. Wren could not help but feel as if a nameless evil had entered the house that would be terribly difficult to remove.


End file.
